Once safely in his own country again, the guerilla chief pursued
his way northwards with his usual celerity and success. The moment
that it was certain that De Wet had escaped, the indefatigable
Plumer, wiry, tenacious man, had been sent off by train to
Springfontein, while Bethune's column followed direct. This latter
force crossed the Orange River bridge and marched upon Luckhoff and
Fauresmith. At the latter town they overtook Plumer, who was again
hard upon the heels of De Wet. Together they ran him across the
Riet River and north to Petrusburg, until they gave it up as
hopeless upon finding that, with only fifty followers, he had
crossed the Modder River at Abram's Kraal. There they abandoned the
chase and fell back upon Bloemfontein to refit and prepare for a
fresh effort to run down their elusive enemy.
While Plumer and Bethune were following upon the track of De Wet
until he left them behind at the Modder, Lyttelton was using the
numerous columns which were ready to his hand in effecting a drive
up the south-eastern section of the Orange River Colony.
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