ake." "So I am," was his reply. "I was born in Norfolk. My father
and grandfather before me were in Her Majesty's Navy, and we are
descended from the old commander of Queen Elizabeth's time." To this I
observed that I was sorry to see him in the Boer camp amongst the
Queen's enemies. He looked rather sheepish, but replied: "Our family
settled in Natal many years ago, and I have ever since been a Transvaal
burgher. I owe everything I possess to the South African Republic, and
of course I fight for its cause; besides which, we colonials were very
badly treated and thrown over by the English Government in 1881, and
since then I have ceased to think of England as my country." As he
seemed well disposed toward me, I did not annoy him by continuing the
discussion, and he went on to inform me that he was the General's
Adjutant, and had been away on business, therefore had only just heard
that I was in the laager, and he had come at once to see if he could be
of any service. I took the opportunity of telling him what I thought of
the way in which they were treating me, pointing out the wretched
accommodation I had, and the fact that they had not even supplied me
with a bed. He was very sympathetic, and expressed much sorrow at my
discomforts, promising to speak to the General immediately, though
without holding out much hope of success, as he told me the latter was
sometimes very difficult to manage. After a little more talk, during
which I made friends with his horse, described by him as a wonderful
beast, he rode off, and I was full of renewed hope. A little later the
young secretary came up again to see me. To supplement my messages
through Mr. Drake, I requested this young man to tell the General that I
could see they were taking a cowardly advantage of me because I was a
woman, and that they would never have detained a man under similar
circumstances. In fact, I was on every occasion so importunate that I am
quite sure the General's Staff only prayed for the moment that I should
depart. That afternoon I had a long talk to two old German soldiers,
then burghers, who were both characters in their way. Hoffman, before
alluded to, had been a gunner in the Franco-German War, and was full of
information about the artillery of that day and this; while the other
had been through the Crimea, and had taken part in the charge of the
Light Brigade, then going on to India to assist in repressing the
Mutiny. He had evidently never liked t