General French had not only to watch Colesberg; he had also to think of the railway junctions to his left and right rear at De Aar and Rosmead, and to endeavour to reach a hand to General Gatacre. The arrival of more and more British troops relieved him of much of his anxiety for his extreme right. The Thirteenth Brigade of the Sixth Division was now at hand, and, under General Kelly-Kenny, pushed along the railway from Rosmead Junction towards Stormberg, halting at Thebus on the 26th, and opening up communication with General Gatacre, by way of the mountain roads. After these operations a comparative calm followed during the last days of January and the first week of February. Quietly the British forces at Colesberg and Thebus were reduced, the greater part of the cavalry, much of the infantry, and all the Horse Artillery being moved north to Modder River, in readiness for the great advance into the Free State. The Boers at Colesberg, now under the command of General De Wet, a Free Stater, who had graduated at Cambridge, do not appear to have promptly seized the situation, or ascertained that they were only confronted by a skeleton force under General Clements. But on February 8, receiving information from a traitorous farmer, they began to show more activity. On this day there was a sharp interchange of artillery fire. A "Pom-Pom" on Horseshoe Kopje, which had caused great annoyance, was shelled by the howitzers; one of the lyddite projectiles burst just by the gun, and flung one of the Boer gunners no less than 100 yards through the air. On the 9th, a reconnoitring party of Australians, fifty strong, moved out on the right, and was engaged by a party of 400 Boers, who lay hidden in some kopjes. With the Australians were two correspondents, Mr. Hales and Mr. Lambie, who had a thrilling experience, thus described by Mr. Hales:-- [Illustration: _F. J. Waugh._] CAPTAIN MADOCKS GRAPPLING WITH THE BOER LEADER.] [Sidenote: [FEB. 8, 1900.] [Sidenote: A ride for life.]