ot with the Transvaal, while there was open disloyalty amongst a
portion of the Dutch Cape Colonists, which proved the existence of a
wide-spread conspiracy.

England awoke sorrowfully to the fact that hostilities were not to be
put off, and, calmly making the best of a bad matter, set to work to
prepare for the struggle. Already she had despatched special officers
for the defence of certain parts, and now she sent sufficient men to
raise the garrisons of Cape Colony and Natal to 20,000, and that done,
set to work to mobilise a complete army corps and call up 25,000 of her
reserves.

The Boers, too, showed that they meant business. Every male of a
certain age was bound to serve, and by October let had been called upon.
From Pretoria and Bloemfontein the call to arms was passed on by the
telegraph wire, and then by the field-cornets, or local magistrates, and
within a few hours, bringing their rifles, horses, food, and ammunition
with them, the burghers mustered to their several commandoes. The
Orange Free State men manned the passes in the Drakenberg range of
mountains looking into Natal, and also sent other commandoes (a large
force of men) to watch the southern border along the Orange River, and
the Basuto border, where trouble from their old enemies might be
expected.

The Transvaallers for the most part went south by train through
Volksrust to Laing's Nek, the scene of the former struggle, while others
went north to Komati Poort, where the railway from Delagoa Bay entered
the country, and to the northern border near Tuli. A large commando was
also despatched to threaten Mafeking, and another marched south towards
Kimberley.

Thus, armed to the teeth, the Boers awaited the coming war, and now that
they were fully prepared, with all their burghers on the borders and
within striking distance, they despatched an ultimatum to the British
Government, the more audacity of which set the world agasp, and made our
countrymen shut their teeth with rage. It was addressed by President
Kruger on October 9th, and declared that forty-eight hours' grace would
be allowed for our forces to be withdrawn from the Cape, our war
preparations to be suspended, and our grievances submitted to
arbitration. If we refused to do as demanded, war should commence on
October the 11th, in the afternoon.

Never before had such an audacious message been addressed to us. There
was no answer to be made. Its despatch made war unavoidable.