“It shall be ready, commandant; but what about Hernan Pereira and his tricks?”

“This about the accursed Hernan Pereira,” exclaimed Retief, striking the writing-board with his fist.  “On the first opportunity I will myself take the evidence of Dingaan and of the English lad, Halstead.  If I find they tell me the same story they have told you, I will put Pereira on his trial, as I threatened to do before; and should he be found guilty, by God!  I will have him shot.  But for the present it is best to do nothing, except keep an eye on him, lest we should cause fear and scandal in the camp, and, after all, not prove the case.  Now go and write your letter, and leave me to write mine.”

So I went and wrote, telling Marie something, but by no means all of that I have set down.  I bade her, and the Prinsloos and the Meyers, if they would accompany her, as I was sure they would, move themselves off at once to the farm I had beaconed out thirty miles away from the Bushman’s River, under pretence of seeing how the houses that were being built there were getting on.  Or if they would not go, I bade her go alone with a few Hottentot servants, or any other companions she could find.

This letter I took to Retief, and read it to him.  At my request, also, he scrawled at the foot of it: 

“I have seen the above and approve it, knowing all the story, which may be true or false.  Do as your husband bids you, but do not talk of it in the camp except to those whom he mentions.—­PIETER RETIEF.”

So the messenger departed at dawn, and in due course delivered my letter to Marie.

The next day was Sunday.  In the morning I went to call upon the Reverend Mr. Owen, the missionary, who was very glad to see me.  He informed me that Dingaan was in good mind towards us, and had been asking him if he would write the treaty ceding the land which the Boers wanted.  I stopped for service at the huts of Mr. Owen, and then returned to the camp.  In the afternoon Dingaan celebrated a great war dance for us to witness, in which about twelve thousand soldiers took part.

It was a wonderful and awe-inspiring spectacle, and I remember that each of the regiments employed had a number of trained oxen which manoeuvred with them, apparently at given words of command.  We did not see Dingaan that day, except at a distance, and after the dance was over returned to our camp to eat the beef which he had provided for us in plenty.

On the third day—­that was Monday, the 5th of February, there were more dancings and sham fights, so many more, indeed, that we began to weary of this savage show.  Late in the afternoon, however, Dingaan sent for the commandant and his men to come to see him, saying that he wished to talk with him about the matter of the treaty.  So we went; but only three or four, of whom I was one, were admitted to Dingaan’s presence, the rest remaining at a little distance, where they could see us but were out of earshot.