see. You will have to reckon with Oom Paul now. You will not find him
so soft-hearted as that fool Oom Schalk, and even if you do, there is
myself, not to mention fat Hans Schloss, who have to be considered.
Altogether, you had best prepare for the end, and perhaps, now that you
find we are in real earnest, you will not be quite so brave or
cock-a-whoop as you were down in the magazine."

Jack made no answer, for to do so would only have been to wrangle, and
he felt as though he would like to think in peace, for even without
Piet's malicious advice it was sufficiently certain that he could expect
little mercy from the rough men into whose hands he had fallen.

Instead, therefore, of replying, he smiled disdainfully and remained
silent, watching the lights which now and again flew past the window.

Half an hour later, the train drew up on the open veldt, and he was
bundled out and into another cart drawn by a couple of horses, which at
once set off at a gallop. Jack was placed on a seat between his two
guards, and in this position was driven through Pretoria and up to the
Government Buildings, his slouch hat and general appearance attracting
no attention. He was now forced to descend and enter the building,
where he was ushered into a small room, unlighted save for one electric
lamp, which swung from the ceiling just above a leather-covered desk,
littered with maps and papers, and behind which, leaning back in an
arm-chair, sat President Kruger himself, seemingly half-asleep, and with
his fat hands clasped together in his lap.

On one side of the president sat a big, burly man with a rugged,
white-bearded, and not unpleasing face, whom Jack at once recognised as
General Joubert, commandant of all the Boer forces, and, next to the
president, the most powerful man in the Transvaal. Jack was placed in
front of the table and remained silent, glaring defiantly and boldly at
the man who, if report spoke true, was at once the most artful diplomat
and the most consummate conspirator in the world.

There was some conversation in the Boer tongue, which Jack could not
follow, as he had only picked up a few words as yet. Then Joubert
addressed him in English, acting as interpreter between him and Paul
Kruger, as the latter had such an intense dislike for anything British
that he even pretended to be ignorant of the language.

"The president desires to know who you are, and for whom you were acting
as spy two nights ago,"