; you have come
through our lines without my permission; this officer no doubt is a
spy."

I wired at once for instructions, which, when received read: "That as
a protest against the action of the English officers who stopped three
of our ambulances, and since this officer has passed through our lines
without permission, you are to stop the ambulance and dispatch the
doctors and their staff, as well as the wounded to Lourenco Marques."

The doctors were very angry and protested vehemently against the
order, which, however, was irrevocable. And thus the whole party,
including the Lancers' doctor, were sent to Lourenco Marques that very
day. The nearest English General was informed of the whole incident,
and he sent a very unpleasant message the next day, of which I
remember the following phrases:--

"The action which you have taken in this matter is contrary to the
rules of civilised warfare, and will alter entirely the conditions
upon which the War was carried on up to the present," etc.

After I had sent my first note we found, on inspection, some
Lee-Metford cartridges and an unexploded bomb in the ambulance vans.
This fact alone would have justified the retention of the ambulance.

This was intimated again in our reply to General Pole-Carew, and I
wrote, _inter alia_: "_Re_ the threat contained in your letter of the
... I may say I am sorry to find such a remark coming from your side,
and I can assure you that whatever may happen my Government,
commandants, and burghers are firmly resolved to continue the War on
our side in the same civilised and humane manner as it has hitherto
been conducted."

This was the end of our correspondence in regard to this subject, and
nothing further happened, save that the English very shortly
afterwards recovered five out of the eight ambulances we had retained.

CHAPTER XXI.

A GOVERNMENT IN FLIGHT.

About this time President Steyn arrived from the Orange Free State and
had joined President Kruger, and the plan of campaign for the future
was schemed. It was also decided that Mr. Schalk Burger should assume
the acting Presidentship, since Mr. Kruger's advanced age and feeble
health did not permit his risking the hardships attendant on a warlike
life on the veldt.

It was decided Mr. Kruger should go to Europe and Messrs. Steyn and
Burger should move about with their respective commandos. They were
younger men and the railway, would soon have to be abandoned.

We