"That was a narrow escape," the officer said. "I am sorry we had to shoot him, for we might have got some information from him. However, it will save trouble. Bring him along, men; his clothes will all have to be carefully searched."
The body was taken in the first place to the provost-marshal's office and there searched, but nothing was found upon him save a small piece of paper, on which, as Yorke had suspected, were only the words, "Mr. Harberton, with Mr. Chambers, Parfontein Mine."
"Now you can go back and sleep in peace, Mr. Harberton," the provost-marshal said. "He nearly had his revenge at the last moment, for Mr. Williams reported to me that he was within a couple of yards of you, and that, had he and the soldiers not fired, your life would have been sacrificed."
"It might have been, sir, but I fancy I could have caught his wrist. As I told you, I have got the better of him twice, and I think I might have managed him a third time; but it is just as well not to have had to try it. Anyhow, I am heartily glad he has met his end, for I felt I should always be in danger as long as he lived, as he was not a man who would ever forgive what he considered an injury."
The following morning Yorke returned to Johannesburg.
"What! back so soon, Yorke?" Mr. Chambers said as he entered the house.
"Yes, the business is finished. There was a plot to carry off Lord Roberts, fire the town, and kill all the officers. Dirck was mixed up in it. He was arrested, and, seeing me, tried to kill me, but the guard from whom he broke away shot him just in time, so there is no more trouble to be feared from him. The other heads of the conspiracy were arrested in the evening, so I hope all danger of that sort is at an end."
At last all was ready for the general advance. Lord Kitchener had been almost ubiquitous for the past three months, and wherever the situation was grave he was certain to make his appearance, and by his masterly arrangements set matters straight. The work of chasing De Wet and Delarey had been steadily maintained, and although by swift and constant turnings they had evaded their pursuers, they had at least been prevented from seriously interfering with the railway, and keeping reinforcements of men, and remounts for the cavalry, and stores, from arriving at Johannesburg. Buller had been advancing steadily north, fighting almost incessantly, and was reinforced by Lord Roberts, who held a conference with him at Belfast, and communicated to him his plan for combined action.
The country to be traversed was difficult in the extreme, and the Boer position almost as strong as it had been before Ladysmith. The fighting began on the 26th of August. Some ground was gained, and on the following morning Buller launched his infantry against the strong ridge held by the enemy. Pole-Carew attacked the centre, and French, with two cavalry brigades, the left. The Boers for a time defended themselves well, and the colonel of the Rifles, with eight other officers and seventy men, were killed or wounded, but on the following day the enemy were retreating all along the line. French pushed on with his cavalry to Watervalonder, and was there joined by eighteen hundred British prisoners, which number included the nine hundred carried off from Pretoria, the rest having been captured in the many fights that had taken place since.
On September 3d Lord Roberts sent Ian Hamilton to turn the position of the Boers facing Buller. Strong as it was it was captured with comparatively little loss. A week later Kruger fled to Lorenço Marques, forsaking the country he had ruined and the people he had deceived, caring only to cling to his ill-gotten treasures. Already Lord Roberts had issued the proclamation of annexation. On September 24th Pole-Carew with the Guards marched into Komati Poort.