ng of three big coaches, chocolate-coloured and picked
out with gold. On the platform beside it stood a small group of
officers, tall men in long grey-blue cloaks. They seemed to be mostly
elderly, and one or two of the faces I thought I remembered from
photographs in the picture papers.

As we approached they drew apart, and left us face to face with one
man. He was a little below middle height, and all muffled in a thick
coat with a fur collar. He wore a silver helmet with an eagle atop of
it, and kept his left hand resting on his sword. Below the helmet was
a face the colour of grey paper, from which shone curious sombre
restless eyes with dark pouches beneath them. There was no fear of my
mistaking him. These were the features which, since Napoleon, have
been best known to the world.

I stood as stiff as a ramrod and saluted. I was perfectly cool and
most desperately interested. For such a moment I would have gone
through fire and water.

'Majesty, this is the Dutchman I spoke of,' I heard Stumm say.

'What language does he speak?' the Emperor asked.

'Dutch,' was the reply; 'but being a South African he also speaks
English.'

A spasm of pain seemed to flit over the face before me. Then he
addressed me in English.

'You have come from a land which will yet be our ally to offer your
sword to our service? I accept the gift and hail it as a good omen. I
would have given your race its freedom, but there were fools and
traitors among you who misjudged me. But that freedom I shall yet give
you in spite of yourselves. Are there many like you in your country?'

'There are thousands, sire,' I said, lying cheerfully. 'I am one of
many who think that my race's life lies in your victory. And I think
that that victory must be won not in Europe alone. In South Africa for
the moment there is no chance, so we look to other parts of the
continent. You will win in Europe. You have won in the East, and it
now remains to strike the English where they cannot fend the blow. If
we take Uganda, Egypt will fall. By your permission I go there to make
trouble for your enemies.'

A flicker of a smile passed over the worn face. It was the face of one
who slept little and whose thoughts rode him like a nightmare. 'That is
well,' he said. 'Some Englishman once said that he would call in the
New World to redress the balance of the Old. We Germans will summon
the whole earth to suppress the infamies of England. S