General Buller proceeded to occupy the region of the Mauchberg range on the 9th, in spite of some resistance from the enemy, who were at last dislodged by the King's Royal Rifles. Among the wounded were Second Lieutenant G. Lumley Johnstone, 53rd Battery Royal Field Artillery. Regardless of infamous roads and execrable weather, the troops moved on and on towards the frowning heights of Spitz Kop. But it was a tremendous ten miles along narrow passes among mountains, some of them 6000 feet high, skirting deep gorges, and in the very teeth of the enemy, who ever and anon launched at them fire from pom-poms and musketry, yet failed to arrest the steady onward progress of men and guns. On the 10th they were at Kipgat, midway between Mauchberg and Spitz Kop, the Boers, a demoralised rabble, hurrying before them in such panic that they were unable to prevent the capture of tons of food stores, the gun tackle of a heavy gun, and some ammunition. The rest, rather than it should fall into British hands, they flung over the crags--thirteen waggons being sacrificed to the necessity for speedy flight. [Illustration: MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE MOVEMENTS FOR THE CAPTURE OF LYDENBURG.] Meanwhile the rest of the army was creeping east--creeping indeed, owing to the difficult nature of the country, that grew more and more obstructive and confounding with every mile. The Guards Brigade, with General Pole-Carew, moved from Nooitgedacht to Godwan Station on the 12th, protected on the right flank by General Hutton, who was in signalling communication with General French. This officer having crossed the Komati River on the 10th, was making his way against considerable opposition towards the hills west of Barberton, while General Ian Hamilton, having completed his task for the relief of General Buller, was leaving Helvetia for Waterval Onder. [Illustration: THE NIGHT CHARGE OF THE 19th HUSSARS NEAR LYDENBURG ON NOV. 7th, 1900 Drawing by R. Caton Woodville]