"
"By Jove we are in luck!" Chris said. "Of course that was the train that
had to leave three hours after us. If we had stopped for that, the
horses, rifles, and kit would all have gone, and we should now be
prisoners. It is serious news, though, for it is evident that not only
are they marching against us in front, and on both flanks, but have cut
our communications with Ladysmith. There can be no doubt that, as
everyone said there, it was a mistake to send General Symons forward
here, as it was almost certain that with four regiments, three batteries
of artillery, a regiment of cavalry, and a few hundred of the Natal
police and volunteers, he could never maintain himself here. Why, we
heard at Ladysmith that a column had gone out the day before towards
Besters station, as the news had come in that they were even then in the
neighbourhood. It was a false alarm, but it was enough to show that the
Boers were likely to be coming down and cutting the railway in our rear.
General Symons told me that he did not expect any general advance of the
enemy just yet, because he heard that their transport was incomplete,
and that they were very short of provisions. But I don't think the want
of transport would prevent their advancing.
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