Convent busied themselves. These noble
women refused to leave the place, electing to remain face to face with
danger in order to nurse the sick. Many of the houses were converted
into hospitals, all the streets were barred with waggons, and even the
inhabitants of the town were supplied with rifles and taught the use of
them. The telegraph wires were now cut at Maribogo, some forty miles
south of Mafeking. The bridge that crossed the Molopo River above
Mafeking was next blown up by the Boers with tremendous uproar. Still
the inhabitants were not dismayed. They had implicit confidence in their
commander and worked incessantly. As a defensive position, Kimberley,
whose history will be told later, had the advantage of Mafeking. The
refuse heaps from the mines at the former place served as natural
fortifications. But Mafeking was in one way fairly secure: its troops,
though few, were efficient, and owing to its not being the abode of Mr.
Rhodes, it was no longer looked upon by the Boers as the most attractive
prize of the war. Besides this, Colonel Baden-Powell's plans of defence
were very complete.

The town was divided into sections, each one of which had its separate
arrangements for defence. The perimeter was about six miles in
circumference. Huge earthworks were thrown up. Shelters were built, with
panellings and roofings of corrugated iron. Colonel Baden-Powell had
decided to hold the town, and declared that if he should hold it at all,
his grip should be a firm one. For himself, he constructed a bomb-proof
bureau, where his literary work could safely be pursued, if need be, to
the accompaniment of a score of guns, and round him were telephonic
communications with each of his outposts. He had also a private
signaller placed with telescope on the watch to inform him of outside
doings and forewarn the garrison in case of assault. Wire communications
were arranged so that each discharge of a shell might be reported by an
alarum, in order that inhabitants of the threatened quarter might have
time to burrow in places of safety. During the daytime the bell of the
signaller was actively employed, but at night the Boers seldom bombarded
the place, and its inhabitants were free to emerge from their
hiding-places and breathe the fresh air.

Fortunately in the matter of food much foresight had been exercised.
With everything against him, Colonel Baden-Powell had succeeded in
making provision for, if necessary, a prolonged stat