On the contrary, when during the last stages of the war it happened, as it often did, that they drove some of our men against one or other of the great blockhouse lines which then intersected the country, and it became necessary for us to fight our way through, we generally succeeded in doing so.

And that, with fewer casualties than when, as in the instance I have just given, they concentrated their forces, and formed a circle around us.
The English then were busy when I returned from the south in building a blockhouse line from Heilbron to Frankfort.

They accomplished this speedily, and then proceeded to the construction of other similar lines, not being contented until they had "pegged out" the country as follows:-- On the Natal frontier there was a line from Vrede to Bothaspas, continued westward by a series of forts to Harrismith, whence the line went on, still westward, to Bethlehem, and thence down to the Basutoland border at Fouriesburg.
Kroonstad was made, so to speak, the "axle," whence a series of "spokes" proceeded; one to the north-east, to Vrede; a second to the north-west, through Driekopjes Diamond Mine, to Winkledrift, and thence down the Rhenoster River to its confluence with the Vaal; a third, to the south-east, to Lindley; and a fourth, to the south-west, along the railway line, to the frontier of Cape Colony.
In the western districts there was a line along the left bank of the Valsch River to the point where it joins the Vaal, and another (also terminating at the Vaal River) starting from Zand River railway bridge, and running parallel to the Zand River.

There was also a line from Boshof, across the Cape Colony frontier, to Kimberley.
Last, but not least, came the "White Elephant" with which the reader is already acquainted--the line from Bloemfontein to Ladybrand, through Thaba'Nchu.
All these lines were in the Free State.

I make no mention here of the thousands of miles of similar blockhouse lines, which made a sort of spider's web of the South African Republic.
The blockhouses themselves were sometimes round, sometimes angular, erections.