no sign; but one result of the voucher thus made was that the assembled
Boers, to most of whom he was well known, conversed with far less
restraint--both then and during the course of the evening. And the
burden of their conversation was confined well-nigh entirely to the very
strained relations then existing between the Transvaal and the suzerain
Power, and what was going to be done upon the final and certain rupture
thereof.

Not much was said during the evening meal, and that little was mainly
confined to local and farming matters and the prospects or the reverse
of a speedy rain. The Boer guests fell to with a will, and did ample
justice to the springbuck stew and other delicacies of the veldt as
there set forth in abundance; for Mrs De la Rey had anticipated just
such an inroad as had taken place. Moreover, she was a model housewife,
and possessed of wonderful Dutch recipes of old-time Cape and Batavian
origin, and within her domain here were none of the insipid and
over-sweetened dishes which prevailed in the ordinary and rougher class
of Boer household. After supper--when pipes were in full blast, in such
wise, indeed, that it was hardly possible to see across the room--it was
not long before the subject engrossing all minds came to the fore.

"_So_, Colvin. _You_ smoke Transvaal tobacco, then?" said one young
Boer with a wink at his neighbours, and affecting surprise.

"Rather, Marthinus. Why not?"

"Why, because you're an Englishman, to be sure."

"Ha-ha. But then, Marthinus, I happen to be an Englishman who smokes
what he likes. And I like Transvaal tobacco. Shall I tell you what
else I like? I like _dop_. So just send along that decanter that's at
the other side of Barend Van Zyl's elbow, will you?"

There was a great laugh at this, and Barend Van Zyl aforesaid made
believe to withhold the decanter on the ground that its contents might
impair the speaker's patriotism. It led to a lot of chaff with regard
to the political situation, some of which, albeit good-humoured, was
keen enough to have thrown some Englishmen, Frank Wenlock, for instance,
into a real fighting rage. This one, however, was made of different
stuff. It didn't ruffle him in the least. Moreover, he knew that they
were merely "taking the measure of his foot."

"And they say that we can't shoot any more, we young ones," said another
Boer. "I saw it in a Cape English newspaper which Piet Lombard had sent
him. They say th