efore they
could load and fire again. After that, they troubled him no more.

At last he reached the mouth of the _Poort_, and saw the prettiest of
the South African towns, with its red and white houses, its tall clumps
of trees, and pink lines of blooming rose hedges lying on the plain
before him, all set in the green veldt, made beautiful by the golden
light of the afternoon, and he thanked God for the sight. John knew that
he was safe now, and let his tired horses walk slowly down the hillside
and across the space of plain beyond. To his left were the gaol and the
barrack-sheds, and gathered about them stood hundreds of waggons and
tents, towards which he drove. Evidently the town was deserted and its
inhabitants were in laager. When he was within half a mile or so, a
picket of mounted men rode out to meet him, followed by a miscellaneous
crowd on horseback and on foot.

"Who goes there?" shouted a voice in honest English.

"A friend who is uncommonly glad to see you," John answered, with that
feeble jocosity in which we are all apt to indulge when at length a
great weight is lifted from our nerves.

CHAPTER XVI

PRETORIA

Jess was not very happy at Pretoria previous to the unexpected outbreak
of hostilities. Most people who have made a great moral effort, and
after some severe mental struggle have entered on the drear path from
self-sacrifice, experience the reaction that will follow as certainly
as the night follows the day. It is one thing to renounce the light,
to stand in the full glow of the setting beams of our imperial joy and
chant out our farewell, and quite another to live alone in the darkness.
For a little while memory may support us, but memory grows faint. On
every side is the thick, cheerless pall and that stillness through which
no sound comes. We are alone, quite alone, cut off from the fellowship
of the day, unseeing and unseen. More especially is this so when the
dungeon is of our own making, and we ourselves have shot its bolts.
There is a natural night that comes to all, and in its unwavering course
swallows every mortal hope and fear, for ever and for ever. To this we
can more easily resign ourselves, for we recognise the universal lot
and bow ourselves beneath the all-effacing hand. The earth does not pine
when the daylight passes from its peaks; it only sleeps.

But Jess had buried herself and she knew it. There was no absolute need
for her to have sacrificed her affection to her