pect decent treatment if you will persist in behaving like a lunatic?"

"Would you be reasonable if you had seen your home sacked and gutted by
a lot of rebels and traitors, and your mother turned out homeless,
Mister Dutchman Kruger Kershaw?" snarled Frank. "No fear though. Your
place wasn't interfered with. You're one of them, you know."

Colvin was not disposed to deny this in the faces of those present,
intending to use that very argument in favour of being allowed to
proceed on his way. But he was deeply concerned on behalf of Frank.
The fool was simply committing suicide. Yet--how prevent him? He had
seen Frank very uproarious more than once, in his cups, but here that
motive power was lacking. The silly chap seemed to have gone half off
his head with racial antagonism. But his own endeavours to persuade the
Boer authorities to that effect drew forth a renewed outburst from the
man he was striving to befriend. The Dutch Commandant lost patience.

"Be still, Englishman," he said, very sharply and sternly. "I am going
to speak, and if you open your mouth again until I have finished, you
will have that thrust into it which will quiet you. Well, then, you
were treated no worse than others in your position until you brought
rough treatment upon yourself. You have been as violent; as a drunken
Bastard Hottentot, without his excuse. You have assaulted and struck
our burghers, and you have only opened your mouth to shout out insults
to His Honour the President and horrid blasphemies to Almighty God.
There can be no place for such a man as you among our God-fearing
burghers, and we are not going to release you while so many of our brave
comrades are rotting on your English prison ships. It may be that you
have not many hours left in this world, and I advise you to think over
and ask pardon of Heaven for all your blasphemous words." Then to the
guards, "Take him back whence he came while we deliberate."

"That for your cant, you cursed, whining old snuffle-nose," yelled
Frank, spitting in the direction of the Commandant. "You can shoot me
if you like, but you'll all hang--every man jack of you--infernal rebels
and traitors. Hurrah! God save the Queen!" And thus vociferating, he
was hustled away.

"Do not hold him responsible for what he says or does, Mynheer
Commandant," said Colvin earnestly. "I think his misfortunes have
turned his brain. He was always excitable. We cannot hold a man
responsible