n Warmelo and demanded to be shown
through her ward, inspected her worst cases, visited the overcrowded
tents. He seemed much impressed by the scenes he witnessed that day,
and issued orders to the effect that all complaints from her ward were
to be attended to promptly, and that a distribution of blankets and
warm clothing should be made immediately.

There were no blankets "in stock" the day before, but they were
produced on this occasion with remarkable alacrity.

The Governor inspected the foodstuffs and the small supply of medical
comforts (which was _always_, I may say here, kept in stock for
inspection, and was not touched for the use of the inmates of the
Camp, when the stores ran out).

On leaving, the Governor said to Hansie with marked emphasis:

"I shall be obliged if you will make your complaints _to me_ in
future."

Her ward was now in a somewhat better condition, and she was preparing
to leave for home for a month's rest and recreation.

Although there were never more than six volunteer nurses in the Camp
at a time, there were quite as many again in Pretoria, waiting to take
the place of those obliged to go home on sick leave, and one of them
was immediately sent to take charge of Hansie's ward.

Tragic were the parting scenes witnessed in that ward next day, and,
as Hansie laughingly extricated herself from the crowd, she promised
to come back "very soon," little thinking that she would be in their
midst again on the morrow.

The new nurse, an inexperienced girl, after having gone through the
ward once with Hansie, quietly fainted away.

"Shall I stay?" Hansie asked her, when she had recovered.

"Oh no; I must get used to it. But what must I do when the babies are
dying like that?"

"You must pray to God to take them quickly. Very little can be done to
save them. Report your worst cases to the doctor regularly every day;
then, at least, the responsibility does not rest on your shoulders."

It was terrible, leaving them all in such a state.

Arrived at Harmony, Hansie found a note from Mr. Cinatti asking her to
come over to the Consulate immediately, because Dr. Kendal Franks, who
was visiting Irene next day, wished to see her before he left.

She went at once, and found a dinner-party in progress at the
Consulate, the German Consul, Baron Ostmann, the Austrian Consul,
Baron Pitner and his wife, one of the directors of the Dynamite
Company, and Dr. Kendal Franks. She was shown into a priv