the women's laager, had changed her mind, or her
relatives did not encourage her to leave the shelter of the town; for
the Staff had experienced some difficulty in persuading her to agree to
the exchange, even if General Snyman allowed the same. I asked if an
answer had been returned to the Colonel's letter, and Mr. Brink replied
in the negative. Very indignant, I said that I did not mean to be kept
in my present wretched quarters indefinitely, and that, if no exchange
could be effected, I would request a pass to return to Setlagoli, and
risk the scarcity of food. He looked rather confused, and said somewhat
timidly that no doubt the General would allow me to go to Pretoria,
where I should find "pleasant ladies' society." Seeing my look of angry
surprise, he hastily added that he only wished he had a house of his own
to place at my disposal. I saw it was no use venting my annoyance on
this young man, who was civility itself, so I merely remarked I had no
intention of visiting their capital, and that the present was certainly
not a time for an English lady to travel alone in the Transvaal. To this
he gushingly agreed, but added that, of course, the General would give
me a proper escort. These words were quite enough to denote which way
the wind was blowing. I would not for an instant admit they had a right
to detain me or to send me to any place against my will, having come
there voluntarily, merely to ask the General a favour. I was therefore
conveniently blind and deaf, and, begging my amiable young friend to
submit Colonel Baden-Powell's suggestion to the Kriegsraad on the
following morning, and to apprise me of the result, I wished him
good-night, and went to bed once more on the wretched sofa, in anything
but a hopeful frame of mind. However, as is so often the case, my
spirits revived in the morning, and, on considering the situation, I
could not see what object the Transvaal authorities could have in
detaining me a prisoner. I was certainly very much in the way of the
hospital arrangements, and I fully made up my mind to refuse absolutely
to go to Pretoria, unless they took me by force. I also determined to
leave them no peace at the headquarters till they gave me a definite
reply. The day dragged on; the flies simply swarmed in my poky little
room. Never have I seen anything like the plague of these insects, but
the nurses assured me that at the laager itself they were far worse,
attracted, doubtless, by the cattl