Meanwhile they made their preparations.  Hans went away for a little and returned with a supply of his sleep-producing drug, though whether he got this from the Kaffirs or gathered it himself, I do not remember, if I ever heard.  At any rate it was boiled up in the water with which they made the coffee that I was to drink, though not in that which Marie proposed to drink with me, the strong taste and black hue of the coffee effectually hiding any flavour or colour that there might be in the herb.  Also the vrouw cooked some food which she gave to Hans to carry.  First, however, he went to investigate the old mealie-pit which was within a few paces of the back door of the Prinsloos’ house.  He reported that it would do well to hide a man in, especially as tall grass and bushes grew about its mouth.

Then the three of them started, and arriving at the door of my house, which was about a hundred yards away, were of course challenged by the sentries.

“Heeren,” said Marie, “the commandant has given us leave to bring food to my husband, whom you guard within.  Pray do not prevent us from entering.”

“No,” answered one of them gently enough, for he was touched with pity at her plight.  “We have our orders to admit you, the Vrouw Prinsloo and the native servant, though why three of you should be needed to carry food to one man, I don’t know.  I should have thought that at such a time he would have preferred to be alone with his wife.”

“The Vrouw Prinsloo wishes to ask my husband certain questions about his property here and what is to be done while he and her men are away at the main camp for the second trial, as I, whose heart is full of sorrow, have no head for such things.  Also the Hottentot must have orders as to where he is to get a horse to ride with him, so pray let us pass, mynheer.”

“Very good; it is no affair of ours, Vrouw Quatermain—­ Stay, I suppose that you have no arms under that long cloak of yours.”

“Search me, if you will, mynheer,” she answered, opening the cloak, whereon, after a quick glance, he nodded and bade them enter, saying: 

“Mind, you are to come out by ten o’clock.  You must not pass the night in that house, or we shall have the little Englishman oversleeping himself in the morning.”

Then they entered and found me seated at a table preparing notes for my defence and setting down the heads of the facts of my relations with Pereira, Dingaan, and the late Commandant Retief.

Here I may state that my condition at the time was not one of fear, but rather of burning indignation.  Indeed, I had not the slightest doubt but that when my case was re-tried before the great council, I should be able to establish my complete innocence of the abominable charges that had been brought against me.  Therefore it came about that when Marie suggested that I should try to escape, I begged her almost roughly not to mention such a thing again.