would reverse the result of his appeal to arms.  His attitude and that of Kruger determined the Boer leaders to hold out for a few more months, a resolution which may have been injudicious, but was certainly heroic.  ’It’s a fight to a finish this time,’ said the two combatants in the ‘Punch’ cartoon which marked the beginning of the war.  It was indeed so, as far as the Boers were concerned.  As the victors we can afford to acknowledge that no nation in history has ever made a more desperate and prolonged resistance against a vastly superior antagonist.  A Briton may well pray that his own people may be as staunch when their hour of adversity comes round.

The British position at this stage of the war was strengthened by a greater centralisation.  Garrisons of outlying towns were withdrawn so that fewer convoys became necessary.  The population was removed also and placed near the railway lines, where they could be more easily fed.  In this way the scene of action was cleared and the Boer and British forces left face to face.  Convinced of the failure of the peace policy, and morally strengthened by having tried it, Lord Kitchener set himself to finish the war by a series of vigorous operations which should sweep the country from end to end.  For this purpose mounted troops were essential, and an appeal from him for reinforcements was most nobly answered.  Five thousand horsemen were despatched from the colonies, and twenty thousand cavalry, mounted infantry, and Yeomanry were sent from home.  Ten thousand mounted men had already been raised in Great Britain, South Africa, and Canada for the Constabulary force which was being organised by Baden-Powell.  Altogether the reinforcements of horsemen amounted to more than thirty-five thousand men, all of whom had arrived in South Africa before the end of April.  With the remains of his old regiments Lord Kitchener had under him at this final period of the war between fifty and sixty thousand cavalry—­such a force as no British General in his happiest dream had ever thought of commanding, and no British war minister in his darkest nightmare had ever imagined himself called upon to supply.

Long before his reinforcements had come to hand, while his Yeomanry was still gathering in long queues upon the London pavement to wait their turn at the recruiting office, Lord Kitchener had dealt the enemy several shrewd blows which materially weakened their resources in men and material.  The chief of these was the great drive down the Eastern Transvaal undertaken by seven columns under the command of French.  Before considering this, however, a few words must be devoted to the doings of Methuen in the south-west.