I began by concentrating my commandos, to the
best of my ability, at Modderrivierpoort (Poplar
Grove), ten miles east of the scene of Cronje's sur-
render. I had plenty of time to effect this, for Lord
Roberts remained inactive from the 24th of February
to the 7th of March, in order to rest a little after the
gigantic task he had performed in capturing Cronje's
laager. His thoughts must have been busy during
that period with even more serious matters than the
care of his weary troops; for, if we had had two hun-
dred killed and wounded, he must have lost as many
thousands.

Those few days during which our enemy rested
were also of advantage to me in enabling me to dis-
pose of the reinforcements, which I was now receiving
every day, and from almost every quarter.

While I was thus engaged, I heard that General
Buller had relieved Ladysmith on the 1st of March,
that General Gatacre had taken Stormberg on the 5th,
and that General Brabant was driving the Boers be-
fore him.

These were the first results of General Cronje's sur-
render.

But that fatal surrender was not only the undoing
of our burghers; it also reinforced the enemy, and
gave him new courage. This was evident from the
reply which Lord Salisbury made to the peace pro-
posals made by our two Presidents on March 5th.
But more of this anon.

Our last day at Poplar Grove was signalized by a
visit paid to us by President Kruger, the venerable
chief of the South African Republic. He had trav-
elled by rail from Pretoria to Bloemfontein; the re-
maining ninety-six miles of the journey had been ac-
complished in a horse-waggon -- he, whom we all
honoured so greatly, had been ready to undergo even
this hardship in order to visit us.

The President's arrival was, however, at an unfort-
unate moment. It was March the 7th, and Lord Rob-

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