ess Ugolins among the Boers to-day.

I firmly believe that a steady process of infanticide was never intended
to be the _raison d'etre_ of these camps; no civilised nation could
deliberately sanction a system cemented with the bones and blood of
innocent babes. And the British are a civilised nation.

No, the fault does not lie in the system itself, but in its application.
It is a humane idea carried out inhumanely, so inhumanely that when the
Black Hole of Calcutta is forgotten Englishmen will still hang their
heads for shame at the mention of concentration.

What the Levite concubine's outraged flesh was to Israel the infant
mortality is to the Afrikanders of the Cape and Natal, who, a hundred
thousand strong, may at any moment lose their self-control and throw in
their lot with their brethren. Then Britain will tear the bandage from
her eyes, but it will be too late.

Let me remind Canon Knox-Little, and those other divines who can
complacently view the children's Golgotha, of the words of their Master:
"_But whoso shall offend one of these little ones, it were better that a
millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depth
of the sea._"

But to return. After the usual reading of the Gospel, we retired for the
night. Our sleep, however, was none too secure. At about two o'clock the
dogs set up a terrible howling. My heart beat loudly. We were in for it
now! But no, it was only the farmer's son, who came to tell us to get
ready.

We rose at once. Our host said a long good-bye to his wife and children,
and we rode away in the misty night, a keen wind cutting through flesh
and bone.

After a very long hour we reached the house of our guide's brother.

We got in without awakening the inmates, and entered a small bedroom,
where two young men were lying asleep. They woke on hearing us move
about, and struck a match.

"Good morning," I said; "rather early, isn't it?"

"Yes," they replied, waiting for me to explain. I kept quiet, however,
and watched the expression on their faces gradually change from surprise
to uneasiness, and from uneasiness to alarm. Then I briefly explained
the situation to the young men, after which we went to sleep in our
chairs till daybreak, when the servant entered with the morning coffee.

Our guide took us into the parlour and introduced us to his
sister-in-law. He then left to rejoin his commando.

We stayed to breakfast, and then also left, making for Heilbron