The Boers shouted aloud, as well they might, and Bessie wrung her hands.
As for the old man, he leant against the flagstaff, and his gory
head sank back upon his breast as though he were about to faint. Then
suddenly he lifted it, and with clenched and quivering fists, held high
in the air, he broke out into such a torrent of blasphemy and cursing
that even the Boers fell back for a moment, dismayed into silence by the
force of the fury wrung from his utter humiliation.

It was an appalling sight to see this good and God-fearing old man, his
face bruised, his grey hairs dabbled with blood, and his clothes nearly
rent from his body, stamp and reel to and fro, blaspheming his Maker and
the day that he was born; hurling execrations at his beloved country and
the name of Englishman, and the Government of Britain that had deserted
him, till at last nature gave out, and he fell in a fit, there, in the
very shadow of his dishonoured flag.

CHAPTER XXVIII

BESSIE IS PUT TO THE QUESTION

Meanwhile another little tragedy was being enacted at the back of the
house. After the one-eyed witch-doctor Hendrik had knocked Silas Croft
down and assisted in the pleasing operation of dragging him to the
flagstaff, it occurred to his villainous heart that the present would be
a good opportunity to profit personally by the confusion, and possibly
add to the Englishman's misfortunes by doing him some injury on his
own account. Accordingly, just before Frank Muller began to read the
despatch announcing the British surrender, he slipped away into the
house, which was now totally deserted, to see what he could steal.
Passing into the sitting-room, he annexed Bessie's gold watch and chain,
which was lying on the mantelpiece, a present that her uncle had made
her on the Christmas Day before the last. Having pocketed this he
proceeded to the kitchen, where, lying on the dresser ready to put away,
there was a goodly store of silver forks and spoons which Bessie had
been busily engaged in cleaning that morning. These he also transferred,
to the extent of several dozens, to the capacious pockets of the
tattered military great-coat that he wore. Whilst thus employed he was
much disturbed by the barking of the dog Stomp, the same animal that had
mauled him so severely a few weeks before, and was now, as it happened,
tied up in his kennel--an old wine barrel--just outside the kitchen
door. Hendrik peeped out of the window, and having ascertained th