The age-herald., 1900-02-27
BOERS UNITING
 THEIR FORCES Assembling Near BIOenfontein
 to Oppose Lord Roberts CRONJE KEEPS UP HIS FIGHT He is Evidently Awaiting Strong as. Achievements. cBURGHERS LEAVING LADYSMlTH FOE s1
 Reports Say That Butler Will Have NO Easy Matter in Defeating the Re- u- maining Forces and Reliev- .,,s.a ing the Garrison.
BuRGHERs LEAVING LADYsMITH

Ijondon February -N.-4:3O G. m.-The u3oers are assembling an army near Bloem- fontein with which to dispute the invasion of Lord Roberts. This intelligence comes From Pretoria by way of Lorenzo Mar quez. The commanders are described as ..nastening from all quarters of the two republics
 No estimate is made of their numbers, but the withdrawal of the Boers from most of the places where they have been in contact with the British except the dis frict near Ladysmith is steadily aug aAemted by small bodies. The gathering of thds army across the path of Lord Roberts gives significance to General Cronje's steadfast defense. He has engaged the corps of Lord Roberts for ten days now, and whether he is relieved or not, he has given time for the dispersed Boer fractions to get together and to prepare positions to receive the British advance when Cronje is overcome and Lord Roberts moves forward.
 It Is difficult to conceive that the Boers are strong enough to take the offensive and to rescue General Cronje from his precarious situation.
 The war office had nothing after mid night to indicate his collapse, and he may hold out for a few days The correspond enxs seem to have no exact information respecting his resources. Some say he has plenty of food, but ds short of ammunition. Others assert that he abandoned his food supplies, but kept abundant supplies of cartridges. General Butler, on Saturday, faced the last and strongest positions of theD Boers who bar his way to Ladysmith. The strenuous fighting indicates a battle between; armies rather than rear guard &C., ti1rls protecting a retreat.
 't Lost Forty-Three Officers
 On Thursday and Friday he lost 43 off cers killed and wounded, representing prob- ably a total loss of from 400 to 300. General Whites guns worked on Saturday upon the Boer position, and heliograph from Lady, smith reported that the Boers were retreat ing, and that larger rations were being issued in view of the fact that relief seemed at hand. Nothing has been heard from Mafeking since February 12 The movement on the Veldt away from the railway is be- coming increasingly difficult for large bodies of troops, as the grass is burned up. General French has no wagon forage for his horses, and even the infantry finds long marches harder than before, as forage for the transport of animals must be carried. This requires the formation of garrison de- pots. The ordinary campaigning season is over, and the siekly season for both men and animals has set in. Technical military writers take these things into considera- tion in forecasting events.
 The Daily Chronicle says 1t learns from private letters that British rifles and ann munition have been landed on the southern coast of Cape Colony, presumably for the Dutch colonists.
 Lord Roberts has recently received 72 ad- ditional pieces of artillery. Whether all have been sent to Paardeberg is not known.
 Probably the eighth division will leave England next Monday.