“It is no lie, Silas Croft,” he said,
“and the cowards are not we Boers, who have
beaten you again and again, but your soldiers, who
have done nothing but run away, and your Mr. Gladstone,
who follows the example of your soldiers. Look
here”—and he took a paper out of his
pocket—“you know that signature,
I suppose? It is that of one of the Triumvirate.
Listen to what he says,” and he read aloud:—
“’Well-beloved Heer Muller,—this
is to inform you that, by the strength of our arms
fighting for the right and freedom, and also by the
cowardice of the British Government, generals, and
soldiers, we have by the will of the Almighty concluded
this day a glorious peace with the enemy. The
Heer Gladstone surrenders nearly everything
except in the name. The Republic is to be re-established,
and the soldiers who are left will leave the land
within six months. Make this known to everyone,
and forget not to thank God for our glorious victories.’”
The Boers shouted aloud, as well they might, and Bessie
wrung her hands. As for the old man, he leant
against the flagstaff, and his gory head sank back
upon his breast as though he were about to faint.
Then suddenly he lifted it, and with clenched and
quivering fists, held high in the air, he broke out
into such a torrent of blasphemy and cursing that
even the Boers fell back for a moment, dismayed into
silence by the force of the fury wrung from his utter
humiliation.
It was an appalling sight to see this good and God-fearing
old man, his face bruised, his grey hairs dabbled
with blood, and his clothes nearly rent from his body,
stamp and reel to and fro, blaspheming his Maker and
the day that he was born; hurling execrations at his
beloved country and the name of Englishman, and the
Government of Britain that had deserted him, till
at last nature gave out, and he fell in a fit, there,
in the very shadow of his dishonoured flag.
BESSIE IS PUT TO THE QUESTION
Meanwhile another little tragedy was being enacted
at the back of the house. After the one-eyed
witch-doctor Hendrik had knocked Silas Croft down
and assisted in the pleasing operation of dragging
him to the flagstaff, it occurred to his villainous
heart that the present would be a good opportunity
to profit personally by the confusion, and possibly
add to the Englishman’s misfortunes by doing
him some injury on his own account. Accordingly,
just before Frank Muller began to read the despatch
announcing the British surrender, he slipped away into
the house, which was now totally deserted, to see
what he could steal. Passing into the sitting-room,
he annexed Bessie’s gold watch and chain, which
was lying on the mantelpiece, a present that her uncle
had made her on the Christmas Day before the last.
Having pocketed this he proceeded to the kitchen,
where, lying on the dresser ready to put away, there
