eth uen ▁advanced ▁from ▁the ▁Orange ▁River ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁Kim ber ley . ▁ ▁M eth uen ▁advanced ▁along ▁the ▁Cape – Trans va al ▁railway ▁line ▁because ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁water ▁and ▁pack ▁animals ▁made ▁the ▁reliable ▁railway ▁an ▁obvious ▁choice . ▁Also , ▁Bull er ▁had ▁given ▁him ▁orders ▁to ▁ev acu ate ▁the ▁civ ili ans ▁in ▁Kim ber ley ▁and ▁the ▁railway ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁means ▁of ▁mass ▁transport ▁available . ▁But ▁his ▁strategy ▁had ▁the ▁dis adv antage ▁of ▁making ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁his ▁approach ▁obvious . ▁Nevertheless , ▁his ▁army ▁drove ▁the ▁Bo ers ▁out ▁of ▁their ▁def ensive ▁positions ▁along ▁the ▁railway ▁line ▁at ▁Bel mont , ▁Gr asp an , ▁and ▁the ▁Mod der ▁River , ▁at ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁a ▁thousand ▁cas ual ties . ▁The ▁British ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁stop ▁their ▁advance ▁within ▁ ▁of ▁Kim ber ley ▁at ▁the ▁Mod der ▁River ▁crossing . ▁The ▁Bo ers ▁had ▁demol ished ▁the ▁railway ▁bridge ▁when ▁they ▁retre ated , ▁and ▁it ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁rep a ired ▁before ▁the ▁army ▁could ▁advance ▁any ▁further . ▁M eth uen ▁also ▁needed ▁several ▁days ▁for ▁supplies ▁and ▁rein for c ements ▁to ▁be ▁brought ▁forward , ▁and ▁for ▁his ▁extended ▁supply ▁line ▁to ▁be ▁secured ▁from ▁sab ot age . ▁The ▁Bo ers ▁were ▁badly ▁sh aken ▁by ▁their ▁three ▁success ive ▁defe ats ▁and ▁also ▁required ▁time ▁to ▁recover . ▁The ▁delay ▁gave ▁them ▁time ▁to ▁bring ▁up ▁rein for c ements ,