136 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



Their very calmness, instead of being read as an indica- 

 tion of terrible obstinacy of purpose, was construed into 

 lack of zeal on behalf of their opinions. 



Their formidable fighting qualities were also underrated 

 by those who, being themselves unskilled with horse and 

 rifle, could not see the immense advantages conferred 

 upon guerilla troops by the introduction of long-range 

 breech-loading rifles. 



The hour of conflict arrived. The Boers attacked and 

 destroyed the wing of a British regiment on the march, 

 and in a few days cooped up every British force in the 

 Transvaal within fortifications. 



The only chance of salvation lay in being relieved by 

 a column from Natal. The Boers assembled a force 

 upon their frontiers to resist the advance of this column. 



The strategical fate of the campaign depended entirely 

 upon the events at Lang's Neck, and the most sensible 

 thing would have been to suspend hostilities throughout 

 the country by an understanding that a certain number 

 of Boers should remain encamped before each British 

 detachment, as being the number of men requisite in 

 warfare to blockade that detachment. Had this been 

 done and had Britishers and Boers entered each other's 

 lines, chatted and smoked their pipes while the conflicts 

 were going on at Lang's Neck, the result would have 

 been precisely the same as it was after some months of 

 aimless skirmishing and fighting. 



However, as the Boers wished to prevent our garrisons 

 from getting provisions, they blockaded them ; and as 

 our garrisons wished to worry the Boers and prevent 

 them from sending reinforcements to their force at 

 Lang's Neck, they made sorties, and otherwise conducted 

 themselves in such a way as to necessitate the Boers 



