the just reward of his crime--was in a quandary.
Music they must have. Music, however, repeated to endless iteration
point, was worse than none. In this dilemma he bethought him of "John
Brown." Surely they could play that. The inspiration was a happy one.
No sooner did the well-known air bray forth--with somewhat discordant
and quavering note it is true--than those nearest seized upon the
chorus. It was caught up, and went rolling along the whole line. Then
it occurred to somebody to alter the chorus to, "We'll hang old Kreli to
a sour apple-tree," an idea received with the wildest enthusiasm, having
the effect of redoubling the volume of song.

But over and above, and throughout all this rollicking jollity, there
was a something about those dark, mounted figures filing here in the
starlight, the gleam of the rifles, the sombre simplicity of the
accoutrements, which told of the sterner side, which seemed to bring
home the idea that this was no toy contingent; that the task of quelling
a barbarian rising was not all child's play; and that some of these
might return with strange experiences, while some might not return at
all.

The weeks that followed this passing through of the first band of
defenders of their "'arths, 'omes, and haltars," as their spokesman
graphically put it, while returning thanks for attentions received
during their sojourn, constituted to Doppersdorp a period of the most
delicious excitement. Some startling and sensational report was of
daily occurrence, borne mainly on the wings of rumour and impracticable
of verification; for that centre of light and leading, notwithstanding
its huge importance in the eyes of its citizens, was yet without such an
appliance of modern civilisation as telegraphic communication. What
mattered it, as long as things were kept alive, and everybody was happy!
And things were kept alive, with felicitous results.

To begin with, there arose a large demand for firearms of all sorts.
This was good for the store-keepers, who booked orders briskly; for the
farmers in the district, Dutch or English, were particular as to the
quality of their weapons, but at such a juncture were less so as to
price, as long as they were quickly supplied. So great consignments of
rifles, and revolvers, and ammunition, were slowly and painfully hauled
up to Doppersdorp from the coast ports, and the store-keepers were
delighted. So too were the Government contractors; for the Barabasta