and (as alleged by Dutch witnesses) given an opportunity to escape.  He mounted his horse, but before he had gone far was shot dead.  On the appeal of Sir Jacobus de Wet the Government consented to investigate the matter; but the Commandant in charge, Piet Grobler, when questioned on the subject, merely replied, ’Oh, he [Black] was a very insolent fellow.  We could do nothing with him.’  The man who fired the shot despatching Black, a half-caste Boer named Graham, stated on his return from Pretoria that he was asked no questions at the so-called inquiry.

A somewhat similar incident took place, but fortunately with less serious results, on the way from the battle of Krugersdorp.  A well-known resident of Johannesburg had ridden out to ascertain news of Dr. Jameson, and, arriving as the surrender took place, thrust his way among the Boers until he reached the Doctor, where he was arrested by the Boer authorities as a spy.  Being a burgher of the State who had been resident in the Transvaal for some sixteen or seventeen years, he was recognized and rather harshly treated.  He was attached by a leather thong to the saddle of one of the Boer Commandants and made to run, keeping pace with the horse.  After a spell of this treatment he was released, and the Commandant in question offered to make a bet with him that he would not be able to race him on horseback to the ambulance waggons a few hundred yards off, the prisoner to take a short cut across a swamp and the Commandant to ride round by the road.  The prisoner thereupon replied, ’No, thank you, Commandant.  I was in the Boer War myself and saw several men shot by that dodge, on the pretence that they were escaping.’  The worthy Commandant thereupon drew his stirrup from the saddle, and thrashed his prisoner with the stirrup end.  After some ten days’ imprisonment under exceptionally hard conditions the gentleman in question was released without trial.

The complete success of the Boer forces against Dr. Jameson’s band has been accounted for in many ways, but undoubtedly the one reason, if one can be selected, which enabled them to deal with the invaders, was their ability to mobilize at short notice.  And in this connection arises the question:  Did the Boers know beforehand of the intended invasion, and were they waiting until Dr. Jameson should walk into the trap?  On behalf of the Boers it is strenuously maintained that they had not the remotest notion of what was brewing, and that had such an idea occurred to them they would of course have reported matters to the High Commissioner.  The President’s unyielding mood before he heard of Dr. Jameson’s start, and his change afterwards, the state of demoralization in Pretoria, the unpreparedness of the State Artillery, and the vacillation of General Joubert, the condition of alarm in which the President was during that night of suspense before the surrender, when Chief Justice Kotze sat with him to aid and cheer, and when the old white horse stood saddled in the stable in case