It was hoped now that the
whole force might be captured, and Thorneycroft's, Crabbe's,
Henniker's, and other columns were closing swiftly in upon him,
while the swollen river still barred his retreat. There was a
sudden drop in the flood, however; one ford became passable, and
over it, upon the last day of February, De Wet and his bedraggled,
dispirited commando escaped to their own country. There was still a
sting in his tail, however; for upon that very day a portion of his
force succeeded in capturing sixty and killing or wounding twenty
of Colenbrander's new regiment, Kitchener's Fighting Scouts. On the
other hand, De Wet was finally relieved upon the same day of all
care upon the score of his guns, as the last of them was most
gallantly captured by Captain Dallimore and fifteen Victorians, who
at the same time brought in thirty-three Boer prisoners. The net
result of De Wet's invasion was that he gained nothing, and that he
lost about four thousand horses, all his guns, all his convoy, and
some three hundred of his men.
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