. They foresaw, moreover, that even should the rebellion be
successful it would throw the country back a century, the rising trade
would be nipped in the bud, the English colonists would leave the
country, the price of land would again fall to a nominal sum, the old
difficulties of raising taxes to carry on the government would recur,
and restless spirits would again be carrying out lawless raids upon the
natives, and involving them in difficulties and dangers.

Farther north the loyal portion of the Dutch remained quiet during the
trouble; but around Standerton, Utrecht, and other places near the
frontier large numbers of them crossed into Natal, with their wives and
families, their cattle and horses, and there remained until the end of
the war. The English settlers, almost to a man, abandoned their farms,
and either retired into Natal or assembled in the towns and formed
themselves with the traders there into corps for their defence. The
manner in which throughout the war these little bodies uniformly
succeeded in repulsing every attempt of the Boers to capture the towns
showed how easily the latter could have been defeated, had the British
government acted with energy when a sufficient force had been collected
on the frontier, instead of losing heart and surrendering at discretion.
It is not too much to say that, had the British government stood
altogether aloof, the colony of Natal, with the English settlers and
loyal Boers, could single-handed have put down the insurrection in the
Transvaal.

The news which the lads brought to Standerton of the unprovoked attack
upon, and massacre of, the 94th caused a wild feeling of excitement. A
crowd rapidly gathered round the lads, and so great was the anxiety to
hear what had taken place that Dick was obliged to mount on a waggon,
and to relate the whole circumstances to the crowd.

Englishmen living at home in the happy conviction that their own is the
greatest of nations can form little idea of the feelings of men in a
colony like the Cape, where our rule is but half-consolidated, and where
a Dutch population, equal in numbers, are sullenly hostile, or openly
insolent. The love of the old flag and the pride of nationality are
there very different feelings from the dull and languid sentiment at
home; and the news of this bloody massacre, at a time when hostilities
had not commenced on either side, and when no overt act of rebellion had
taken place, caused every eye to