, and what are the precise difficulties which have led to such
friction here between the Boer Government and the Uitlander population."

"Do, by all means!" both lads cried.

"Well, I will; but first we'll have another glass of this cool stuff.
Tom Thumb!" he shouted. "Here, I want you."

A moment later the big Zulu appeared, clad in light check trousers and a
striped flannel shirt.

"Bring more `squashes' and a cigar," said Mr Hunter.

"Alright, Baas! I bring him plenty quick," Tom Thumb replied, turning
on his bare heels, and striding noiselessly into the pantry close by,
where soon the sound of popping soda-water-bottles told that he was
carrying out his master's orders.

A few minutes later the drink was placed on the arm of each chair, Mr
Hunter had lit his cigar, and was leaning back, puffing clouds of smoke
from his lips, and staring thoughtfully at the ceiling.

"Light up, boys!" he said at last. "It's a bit of a yarn, and wants to
be followed closely. Now, to start the ball rolling, as it were, I must
tell you who and what our neighbours are, and from what race they derive
their origin. You must know that the first whites to visit this vast
continent of Africa in its southern parts were of Dutch nationality.
They were servants of the Dutch East India Company, who placed a colony
of their countrymen at Table Bay to form a depot, where vessels could
put in and replenish their provisions and water with some degree of
safety. They were joined many years after by a band of French
Protestants who had been driven from their own country.

"In 1795 the Colony was taken over by the British by request of the
Stadtholder of Holland, who had been dethroned. But in seven years'
time we handed the country back again.

"Later on, however, our forces returned once more and ousted the Dutch,
setting up a government on the site which is now occupied by Cape Town.
Naturally, many of the Dutch and French immigrants had become possessed
of property, and had commenced to farm the land; and these stayed on
under the new rule. In process of time they intermarried, and by the
commencement of this century numbered about 75,000 souls all told. That
is the origin of the present Boer nation. They are sprung from the
union between Dutch and French settlers, who were the pioneers of
Africa.

"Then the British immigrant arrived and sat down by the side of the
Boers, and together, in perfect unity and good fellowship, they