The tale of his audacious invasion of Cape Colony can but be outlined here. Briefly, the Dutchman with his force succeeded, despite the resistance of the troops before-mentioned, in getting across the Orange River by Zand Drift on the 11th, with a view to following in the track of Hertzog, and fulfilling the programme already described. Ever active, he sped on, made a lunge at the garrison of Philipstown on the 14th, and, after a three hours' tussle, was repulsed, and bolted (followed closely by General Plumer) in the direction of Hout Kraal. Here he arrived on the 15th, with the intention of pushing on to De Aar, but he was frustrated by the timely arrival there of Lord Kitchener, who bore down on the scene from Pretoria and made dispositions which finally forced the foe into more northerly hunting-grounds. Meanwhile, Colonel Crabbe, thundering in rear of the Dutchman, caught up his convoy, seized twenty waggons, a score of Boer tatterdemalions, a Maxim, and over 200 horses. Still De Wet continued to flee, his aim being to cross the Brak River and reach Britstown; but Nature frustrated him, for the swollen river had become impassable, and there was nothing left but to turn tail and scurry northwards and escape the hunters Knox and Plumer, who were still in full chase. Dividing his forces, De Wet steered them between the Brak River and the rail, pounding on from the keen pursuit of the converging columns as fast as floods and quagmires would permit. His sole object now was to recross the Orange River with a whole skin, and rushing breathlessly first to Read's Drift, then to Mark's Drift (near Douglas), both of which were impassable, he found himself again frustrated and forced to twist downwards--clinging ever to the river bank, with the indomitable Plumer hanging to his coat-tails.