,"
three miles from Dullstroom.

The English camp was now close to our friends, the Steenkamps, who
were anxiously waiting an opportunity to become "hands-uppers." They
had, of course, left off fighting long ago, one complaining that he
had a disease of the kidneys, another that he suffered from some other
complaint. They would sit on the kopjes and watch the fighting and the
various manoeuvres, congratulating each other when the enemy
approached a little nearer to them.

I will now ask the reader's indulgence to describe one of our little
practical jokes enacted at Dullstroom Church, which was characteristic
of many other similar incidents in the Campaign. It will be seen how
these would-be "hands-uppers" were caught in a little trap prepared by
some officers of my staff.

My three adjutants, Bester, Redelinghuisen, and J. Viljoen, carefully
dressed in as much "khaki" as they could collect, and parading
respectively as Colonels Bullock, "Jack," and "Cooper," all of His
Majesty's forces, proceeded one fine evening to Dullstroom Church, to
ascertain if the Steenkamps would agree to surrender and fight under
the British flag. They arrived there about 9 p.m., and finding that
the inmates had all gone to sleep, loudly knocked at the door. This
was opened by a certain youthful Mr. Van der Nest, who was staying in
the church for the night with his brother. J. Viljoen, alias "Cooper,"
and acting as interpreter between the pseudo-English and the renegade
Boers, addressed the young man in this fashion:--

"Good evening! Is Mr. Steenkamp in? Here is a British officer who
wishes to see him and his brother-in-law."

Van der Nest turned pale, and hurried inside, and stammering, "Oom
Jan, there are some people at the door," woke up his brother and both
decamped out of the back door. Steenkamp's brother-in-law, however,
whom I will call Roux, soon made his appearance and bowing cringingly,
said with a smile:--

"Good evening, gentlemen; good evening."

The self-styled Colonel Bullock, addressing "Cooper," the interpreter,
said: "Tell Mr. Roux that we have information that he and his brother
wish to surrender."

As soon as "Cooper" began to interpret, Roux answered in broken
English, "Yes, sir, you are quite right; myself and my brother-in-law
have been waiting twelve months for an opportunity to surrender, and
we are so thankful now that we are able to do so."

"Colonel Bullock": "Very well, then; call your people out!"