The last reinforcements arrived from Orange River on December 10. Three days earlier an unpleasant incident showed how easy for an active enemy would be the interruption of Lord Methuen's line of communications. Early on the morning of December 7, a detachment of Northamptons, who had been left to hold the railway at Enslin, close to the scene of Lord Methuen's victory of Graspan, heard two loud explosions. A scout was sent out to ascertain the cause, but as the grey light of dawn gave place to clear day, the origin of the explosions was manifest. A force of the enemy from Jacobsdal, 1,500 strong, with three guns, was seen to be in position to the east of the railway and close to it. The line to the north had been broken and a culvert destroyed. Fortunately, the Boers had not yet cut the telegraph wire, and just before they did so, a message was despatched to Modder River camp announcing the enemy's presence and appealing for help. At once Lord Methuen despatched the 62nd Field Battery, the 12th Lancers, and half a battalion of Highlanders to aid the hard-pressed Northamptons. [Illustration: [_Photo by W. J. Johnston, Banchory._ THE REV. J. ROBERTSON, CHAPLAIN OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE, AT MAGERSFONTEIN.] [Sidenote: DEC. 7, 1899.] _Advantageous Position of the Enemy._] The Northamptons numbered 200, 140 of whom were posted in a small fort which had been constructed at Enslin round the station; the other sixty were upon a kopje near the fort and commanding it. The British force, though without artillery and grievously outnumbered, held its own bravely in face of the heavy Boer shell and rifle fire. At last, about noon, the 62nd Battery arrived and opened fire, and the Boers fell back, leaving on the field five dead, among whom was an officer in the uniform of the Free State artillery. The British losses were two dangerously and nine slightly wounded. General Prinsloo is known to have been in command of the Boers; his object is believed to have been the capture of the howitzer battery, the departure of which from Orange River Station for the north was known to the enemy. [Illustration: THE BRITISH AND BOER FLAGS. The white ensign (having a red St. George's cross and the Union in the corner) is used by Her Majesty's ships; transports fly the blue ensign with the golden anchor of the Admiralty. The Transvaal flag has three horizontal stripes, red, white, and blue, with a green vertical stripe next the staff. The Free State flag is (or rather was) the only flag of any state having orange as one of its colours; it was striped alternately orange and white, with red, white, and blue stripes occupying the first quarter.] The railway was rapidly repaired and communications reopened. The troops holding it were greatly strengthened by the arrival of the Canadian and Australian regiments at Belmont, thus rendering any further attempts to break the line impossible for a small force.