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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Boer in Peace and War, by Arthur M. Mann
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
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+
+
+
+
+Title: The Boer in Peace and War
+
+
+Author: Arthur M. Mann
+
+Release Date: April 6, 2005  [eBook #15561]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOER IN PEACE AND WAR***
+
+
+E-text prepared by Michael Ciesielski, Jeannie Howse, and the Project
+Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net)
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+
+
+THE BOER IN PEACE AND WAR
+
+by
+
+ARTHUR M. MANN
+
+Author of _The Truth From Johannesburg_
+
+With Sixteen Illustrations
+
+London
+John Long
+6 Chandos Street, Strand
+
+1900
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+[Illustration: BOER MOUNTED POLICE]
+
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+  BOER MOUNTED POLICE (Frontispiece)
+
+  WAGGONS BRINGING WOOL TO EARLY
+    MORNING MARKET (JOHANNESBURG)
+
+  A BOER HOMESTEAD
+
+  WAGGONS CROSSING RIVER
+
+  A BOER FAMILY
+
+  MAJUBA HILL
+
+  A BOER ENCAMPMENT
+
+  RAADZAAL, OR BOER PARLIAMENT HOUSE
+
+  PRESIDENT KRUGER'S HOUSE
+
+  PRESIDENT KRUGER
+
+  DUTCH CHURCH (PRETORIA)
+
+  BOER CATTLE FARM NEAR MAJUBA
+
+  SHOOTING RINDERPEST OXEN
+
+  WAGGON ON PONTOON OVER RIVER
+
+  BOERS OUTSPANNED FOR NACHTMAAL
+
+  BLOEMFONTEIN
+
+
+
+
+THE BOER IN PEACE AND WAR
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+
+A Boer may know you, but it will take you some time to know him, and
+when a certain stage in your acquaintance is reached, you may begin to
+wonder whether his real nature is penetrable at all. His ways are not
+the ways of other people: he is suspicious, distant, and he does not
+care to show his hand--unless, of course, there is some pecuniary
+advantage to be gained. He is invariably on the alert for advantages
+of that description.
+
+His suspicious nature has probably been handed down to him from
+preceding generations. When he first set foot in South Africa he was
+naturally chary concerning the native population. He had to deal
+firmly with Bushmen, and the latter certainly proved a source of
+continual trouble. The Boer set himself a difficult task when he
+undertook to instil fear, obedience, and submission into the hearts of
+these barbarians--a task that could only be faced by men of firm
+determination and unlimited self-confidence.
+
+These characteristics have always inspired the Boer, and although he
+may often have been the object of derision, it is to his credit that
+the predominant qualities mentioned have enabled him to pull through
+the miry clay. Without these qualities, it is patent that the little
+band which landed at the Cape long years ago would have succumbed
+before the conflicting forces which then existed. And as succeeding
+years passed on, and the sun still shone upon the heads of the
+pioneers, it is worthy to note that, despite the difficulties which
+continually presented themselves, the little band multiplied,
+prospered, and evolved an ensample not too mean to contemplate.
+
+The Boer cannot be charged with any incapacity where the mere
+treatment of natives is concerned; he can manage that business
+perfectly. In the first place, he does not make the too common mistake
+of allowing the black populace to insert the thin end of the wedge.
+This is a mistake too often fraught with serious results, and the Boer
+knows it. A native, no matter if he be Swazi, Zulu, Basuto, or any
+other nationality, will always take advantage where such is offered,
+and he will follow it up with enough persistence to warrant ultimate
+success. In Natal, at the present time, this mistake is very apparent,
+and, in consequence, one very seldom encounters a native who is
+content to attire himself in any other manner than that adopted by his
+master. He demands decent clothing, and, if possible, it must be new
+and fashionable. I have known cases where a 'boy' has been presented
+with a respectable suit of clothes a little too small for him, and it
+is unnecessary to add that he disposed of that suit. People who have
+hitherto allowed their children to put their pennies in the Sunday
+School Mission box, will perhaps hesitate to continue supporting the
+'poor, down-trodden native' when they learn that he is so fastidious,
+and perhaps, after all, their spare coppers might be assigned to a
+more deserving cause.
+
+The Boer does not treat his black servants in any such fashion--he
+knows better. He puts them on a sound footing to begin with, and he
+leads them to understand that they must remain there.
+
+This method of treatment where the natives are concerned has, to a
+great extent, insured the progress of the Boer in South Africa. He has
+laid down certain laws at the outset, and he has rigidly adhered to
+those laws. He employs a different method of treatment from that which
+is attributed to the Natal farmer and others who employ native
+servants. He has never allowed his original attitude towards natives
+to become compatible with the British idea; he prefers still to look
+upon them as slaves, although he is perforce required to regard them
+as servants. The difficulty in Natal with regard to the rapidly
+increasing native populace, and how to deal effectually with the
+question, might have arisen in the Orange Free State, for instance,
+were it not for the fact that the native, in comparison with the white
+population, is small. By a Law passed in the Volksraad some few years
+ago, it became compulsory for farmers to allow only a limited number
+of native families to remain on the farms. This created considerable
+dissatisfaction among both farmers and natives, and the result was
+that native labour approached the inadequate in a very short time.
+Hundreds of native families left the State, and although the Law
+ultimately admitted of a wider interpretation, the native populace has
+not materially increased. The present attitude of natives in the towns
+is not altogether satisfactory since the passing of this Law. Labour
+being scarce, they are inclined to take up an independent attitude,
+which, if fraught with little danger, is at least calculated to
+produce a certain amount of friction between white and black. Added to
+this, there is the fact that the education of natives, which is
+becoming more general, undoubtedly assists the growth of this
+independence. The Boer farmers in this connection adhere to their
+pristine view of the matter, namely, that educating natives amounts to
+casting pearls before swine; and although this does not tend to
+encourage the work of the missionary, there may possibly be a certain
+amount of truth in it.
+
+Before the arrival of British subjects at the Cape, the Boer had it
+all his own way. He looked upon himself as practically the ruler of
+the country, and it was not natural that he should look with favour
+upon the advent of a probable rival. He lived peacefully in a
+way--that is, when he was not in open conflict with the natives. He
+killed his game and cooked it and ate it heartily, and he enjoyed a
+measure of happiness. He had found a home; the free-and-easy life
+suited him; and if he was not possessed of riches (which would have
+been of little value to him then), he had, at least, health and
+strength and an abundance of daily food.
+
+But one day the now accursed Englishman crossed his path, and that
+made a considerable difference. He perhaps wondered why the English
+came there at all, when he was just beginning to develop a great
+country. But he did not, of course, know then what he knows now,
+namely, that the English are insatiable land-grabbers! He looked upon
+their advent more in the light of a huge slice of impertinence. He
+knew also that it was dangerous to meddle or contend with them, so he
+merely looked on with a suspicious eye. He watched their every
+movement, and he also very probably looked for the day of their
+departure. But they did not depart; they had come to stay.
+
+The Boer did not like his English neighbours from the start; there was
+far too much of the go-ahead persuasion about them. He wanted to jog
+along quietly and cautiously, and he very naturally resented the
+presence of people in whom the desire for progression was strong. So
+long as the Boer was left to himself he was not aware of his own
+tardiness. He was very much in the position of a cyclist on the track;
+it needed a 'pacer' to show how slowly he was travelling. The 'pacer'
+in this instance brought with him no commendation in the eyes of the
+Boer; he merely created suspicion and ill-feeling, which ultimately
+developed into rancour.
+
+When suspicion lays hold of a man it invariably changes the whole of
+that man's character. It did so in the case of the Boer. It debarred
+any chance of reconciliation with the English for the future. The Boer
+does not know the meaning of compromise, and if he did, it would go
+against his grain to entertain it. His nature is stubborn; he cannot
+bring himself to look at a question from any other view-point than his
+own. He will argue a point for hours, and although he may be in the
+wrong, it is a moral impossibility to convince him that he is not in
+the right. His consummate ignorance may largely account for this; but
+even semi-educated Boers are not much better in this respect.
+
+The Boer makes an excellent pioneer, and when he found that the
+English ideas were not compatible with his own, he decided to move
+farther north. That is another of his characteristics--independence.
+He is not only independent to a degree, he is sensitive; and when he
+discovers by accident that he is a much-aggrieved party, his
+indignation does not usually take a violent form--he simply clears
+out. He may be somewhat different where the Transvaal is concerned--he
+may be indignant, but he has no intention in this instance of adopting
+the procedure of his forefathers. The latter had not yet dropped into
+an inheritance glittering with gold; they were merely agriculturists,
+and they desired pastures of their own. Some of them found desirable
+pastures in the barren wastes of the Free State, and subsequently the
+majority wended their way to the Transvaal.
+
+It is not, of course, my intention to reiterate history. History is
+good enough when it is new, but I should only be covering ground which
+is already familiar to most readers. My purpose is to present glimpses
+of the Boer as he is to-day.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+
+The Boers are very much like the Scotch--they are clannish. Every Boer
+has a solid belief in himself, to begin with, and every Boer has a
+profound belief in his brother. This characteristic has many
+advantages: it not only welds a people together, it is a sufficient
+guarantee of success in times of trouble and difficulty, and it has
+stood the Boer in good stead. He likes to tell you that no difficulty
+is insurmountable in his eyes--nay, further, he does not believe in
+the existence of any difficulty which he is not competent to overcome.
+Rumours of trouble with natives do not appal him, because he knows
+before he slings his gun over his shoulder that he is going forth to
+inflict due punishment upon the insurgents. He does not in any
+instance entertain the thought of a repulse. He marches to the front
+with a firm, determined step, and he does not rest until he has
+conclusively settled the matter.
+
+The march to the front is a sort of family concern. I have tried
+occasionally to unravel the relations of the numerous families in
+certain districts, but it seems to me that the complications are too
+great to admit of analysis. For instance, it will be found that the
+family of Wessels is closely allied to the family of Odendaals, and
+the Odendaals, on the other hand, are related to the De Jagers. This
+kind of thing worries and tantalizes a man, and the only safe
+conclusion to arrive at is that the entire nation is linked together
+in some way or other by family ties. This may account for the fact
+that it is seldom necessary to introduce one Boer to another--they are
+very well acquainted without such formalities; if they are not, they
+very soon strike up an acquaintance.
+
+Of course there are exceptions, and I remember one in particular. The
+instance I refer to occurred in a store. One of the gentlemen in
+question was leaning heavily against the counter, and one could
+observe at a glance that he, at least, had a good opinion of himself.
+Presently Boer number two entered. He was small in stature, like the
+other man, but there was a note of uncertainty about him which seemed
+to betoken that his opinion of himself did not measure up in
+proportion to that of the other Boer. Number two looked about him a
+bit, and occasionally directed a furtive glance at number one, who, on
+the other hand, stolidly regarded the array of goods spread out before
+him. Number two seemed to have settled the question in his own mind at
+last, for he approached the other party and held out his hand.
+
+'I am Britz,' he said laconically, as the other touched the
+outstretched hand indifferently.
+
+'Ja!' said number one; 'I am Papenfus.'
+
+The conversation ended here, and number two made a silent departure.
+
+[Illustration: WAGGONS BRINGING WOOL TO EARLY MORNING MARKET
+(JOHANNESBURG)]
+
+The preliminary salutations of another pair of Boers are probably as
+interesting. It was during a prolonged drought, and both gentlemen had
+evidently experienced a difficulty in finding a sufficiency of
+water for the purposes of ablution. They had not met for a number of
+years, but the recognition was mutual.
+
+'Almachtig, Gert, you are still as ugly as ever!'
+
+'Ja!' replied the other readily; 'and you are still alive with that
+face!'
+
+The Boer is coarse in his conversation, although he prefers to regard
+it as wit. He likes to participate in a conversation bristling with
+this sort of wit, but when you come to tell him a really good thing,
+he fails entirely to grasp the point, and your joke falls flat,
+resulting usually in a painful silence.
+
+He is also very chary of complications in the handling of money. He
+brings his wool into town once, and sometimes twice, a year, and that
+staple comprises the current coin of the country. His clip is weighed
+off in due course, and he proceeds to the store and sits down while
+the clerk figures up the amount. You may be foolish enough to ask him
+if he will buy a plough or a bag of coffee, but he continues to smoke
+hard and expectorate all over the floor without giving a definite
+reply. He wants to handle the money first, and then he will arrange
+about his purchases. Within half an hour he will probably have in his
+pocket two or three hundred golden sovereigns (he does not look upon
+bank-notes with favour; he wants something hard and substantial), and
+he will at once proceed to the matter of buying. At the end of the day
+his waggon is loaded up with a variety of household and agricultural
+necessities, for which he has paid, say, L150 of the money received
+for his wool. This is his way of doing things, and he thinks it is the
+right one.
+
+During the Boer War of 1880 merchants in the Free State had a bad time
+of it. The Boers were, of course, very much excited, and the English
+merchant was looked upon scornfully and contemptuously. One Boer had
+already drawn up a memorandum of what he considered should be the
+_modus operandi_ in dealing with the storekeepers. Two or three were
+to be hanged, and the others were to be tied up in front of their own
+buildings and shot down like crows. That was in Harrismith.
+
+The Boer has not much to boast of in the matter of brains, but what he
+does possess he is careful not to abuse. A man can abuse his brains in
+many ways--by taking to strong drink, for instance. I have been among
+Boers for some years, and I can honestly say that I never yet saw a
+Boer the worse for drink. He may indulge occasionally, but he very
+seldom carries the practice to excess. When he does take it he likes
+it strong--as strong as he can get it. He scorns the idea of mixing it
+in water. He reckons that he did not go to the canteen or hotel to pay
+for water. He wants the full value of his money, and he takes it.
+
+I have said that the Boer is suspicious; he is likewise jealous by
+nature. If there happens to be rinderpest on the next farm to his, he
+is never contented until he gets his full share. He does not mind if
+the visitation plays extreme havoc among his stock so long as he is
+not left in the lurch. I remember some time ago hearing of a Boer who
+had decided to build a large dwelling-house on his farm in place of
+the wretched little building he and his family had hitherto occupied.
+This Boer had made some money, and contact with English people in the
+towns had resulted in more advanced ideas. He determined, therefore,
+to spare no expense on this new project--he even included a bath-room.
+The building was scarcely completed, when about a dozen Boers, who
+were also capitalists in a way, immediately set about making
+arrangements for similar structures. This form of jealousy is, of
+course, good where trade is concerned.
+
+If the Boer is nothing else, he is at least talked about. I say
+nothing else advisedly, because he is nothing else. In his own country
+he is nothing, and out of it he is less, if that were possible. It may
+seem out of place on the part of a Scotsman to make such an assertion,
+because a Scotsman (and a Yorkshireman, too, by the way) is, in the
+eyes of the Boer, a friendly being, and far removed above a mere
+Englishman. A Boer will give a Scotsman the best in the house, and put
+up his horse comfortably, but an Englishman in the same circumstances
+fares differently. It is, of course, unnecessary to say that while
+a Scotsman makes no objection to exceptional hospitality, his views of
+the Boer do not differ materially from those of any other person of
+whatever nationality. He drinks the Boer's coffee, and shakes hands
+with him and all his family, but there may be, and usually is, a great
+deal of deception mixed up with such extreme good-feeling. I could
+never understand, nor has it been explained to me, why the Boer is so
+partial towards Scotsmen, unless it be that a great many Scotch words
+resemble words in the Dutch language. Perhaps that may in some degree
+account for it, although I do not think there is anything to be proud
+of on the Scottish side.
+
+[Illustration: A BOER HOMESTEAD]
+
+It is necessary to reside in the Boer Republics to place one in the
+position of knowing something of the Boer, and a mere fortnight won't
+do it. Of course, there are Boers and Boers, as there are Englishmen
+and Englishmen. There are Boers who are competent to rank with any
+English gentleman, and whose education and abilities are of no mean
+order. Unfortunately, however, these are altogether in the minority.
+
+The Boers are all farmers, and, according to their own statements, a
+poverty-stricken people. They plead poverty before an English merchant
+because they fancy it will have the effect of reducing prices.
+Fortunately, the merchants possess rather an accurate knowledge of
+such customers, and in consequence they lose nothing. One would as
+soon believe the generality of Boers, as walk into the shaft of a coal
+mine. He has a reputation for lying, and he never brings discredit
+upon that reputation. When he lies, which, on an average, is every
+alternate time he opens his mouth, he does so with great enthusiasm,
+and the while he is delivering one lie, he is carefully considering
+the next. When he can't think of any more lies, he starts on the
+truth, but in this he is a decided failure. He is afraid of being
+found out. For instance, a merchant will approach a Boer respecting an
+overdue account. The Boer will at once plead poverty, and speculate
+on how he can possibly manage to liquidate his liability. If the
+merchant knows the ropes sufficiently (and the majority of merchants
+do), he will drop the subject for half an hour, at the end of which
+time he will ask the Boer if he wants to sell any cattle or produce,
+as he (the merchant) can find an outlet for either or both. The Boer's
+diplomacy is weak, and he falls into the trap. He has fifty cattle to
+dispose of; the merchant buys them, and the overdue account, with
+interest, is paid.
+
+The Boers are very superstitious in a great many things. For instance,
+they regard locusts as a direct visitation from the Almighty. When the
+pest settles down upon ground occupied by Kaffirs, all the available
+tin cans and empty paraffin tins are requisitioned, and there is a
+mighty noise, that ought to frighten off any respectable locust swarm;
+but the Boer, when he sees them coming, goes into his house and lays
+hold of his Bible, and reads and prays until he thinks there ought to
+be some good result. The Boer is gifted with great and abiding
+patience (in such cases only), and, no matter if the locusts stop long
+enough to eat up every green blade on his farm, he will continue to
+study his Bible and pray. But, as I have remarked parenthetically, it
+is only in cases of emergency where he evinces such a display of
+patience and exercises such a pious disposition. When he is not
+praying, he is putting ten-pound stones in his bales of wool to be
+ready for the merchant's scales, and transacting other little matters
+of business of a like nature.
+
+The Boer is not particular in the matter of cleanliness. It suits him
+just as well to be dirty as to be clean. It is no exaggeration to say
+that numbers of Boers do not wash themselves from one week's end to
+another; and they wear their clothes until they drop off. It is always
+a matter for speculation what the womenfolks do. It is certain that
+they do not exert themselves too much, if at all, in their own homes.
+They generally do all the cooking and eating in one room, and in the
+other end of the house you will probably find a litter of pigs, a
+score of hens, etc. And the one room is about as clean as the
+other--most people would prefer to sleep alongside the pigs and the
+fowls.
+
+The most painful proceeding is to dine in such a place. Unless you are
+blessed with a cast-iron constitution and a stomach of the same
+pattern, you are not likely to survive. Usually they put down boiled
+meat first, after which comes the soup. The chief regret in your case
+is that the soup had not come first, so that you could have disposed
+of it right away and had something on top of it. Coffee, of course, is
+never forgotten, and it would be a direct insult to refuse it. Coffee
+is a great thing with the Boer. He would as soon be without house and
+home, as his bag of coffee. Before selling his wool to the merchant,
+almost the first thing he asks is: 'What is your price for coffee?' If
+a satisfactory quotation is forthcoming, he does not hesitate long in
+disposing of his staple, although, of course, at the highest price
+obtainable.
+
+The story goes that once upon a time a Boer, whose conscience had
+remained dormant from his birth, came to a certain town to purchase
+goods in exchange for produce. One of the articles he bought was,
+naturally, coffee, and of that he took half a bag. While the clerk was
+engaged in attending to some other matters, the Boer quietly and, as
+he thought, unobserved, undid the cord which secured the mouth of the
+coffee bag, and slipped in a quarter of a hundred-weight of lead which
+was lying in the vicinity and which he evidently calculated on finding
+useful. The clerk observed this movement without betraying the fact,
+and when the order was completed his eye fell upon the coffee bag
+casually.
+
+'Oh! wait a moment,' he remarked. 'I fancy I have forgotten to weigh
+that coffee.'
+
+He weighed it over again and carefully noted down the figures in his
+little book, no doubt much to the chagrin of the silent Boer, who
+probably had not reckoned on paying for his lead in the same
+proportion as the cost of his coffee per pound.
+
+On another occasion, a Boer, the extent of whose wealth was probably
+unknown to himself, found it necessary to dispute certain items in his
+account with his storekeeper. This sort of thing, by the way, is the
+rule and by no means the exception. It seems natural also when it is
+noted that the majority of Boers run twelve-monthly accounts, and by
+the time they come to square up, they find a difficulty in recognising
+some of the articles purchased eleven or twelve months previously.
+This particular gentleman's argument had reference to a pair of spurs,
+which he deposed had been given to him as a present by the manager,
+and his hitherto good opinion of the clerk who had charged the spurs
+in his account was permanently damaged. He said he wasn't a man of
+that sort. If he wanted to buy spurs, he could pay cash down for about
+fifteen thousand pairs and, in short, he could buy up all the spurs in
+the country! He would pay for those spurs now: he wouldn't take a pair
+of anything, gratis or otherwise, from that merchant as long as he
+lived. He would go home and put eight horses into his wagonette and
+drive round the country and tell all his friends about that pair of
+spurs, and he wouldn't rest until he had completed the task to his own
+satisfaction.
+
+The book-keeper tried in vain to calm him down by presenting him with
+a bunch of grapes, but he only regarded the peace-offering with
+extreme contempt. He wanted to know what else he had been charged
+with, and the clerk, in conciliatory tones, proceeded to read over the
+several items. He came to 'one pound of tea.' That was the last straw.
+
+'What! a pound of tea--a pound! Almachtig! Ik koop thee bij de zak (I
+buy tea by the bag).'
+
+The suspicious nature of the Boer is always in evidence, although the
+Englishman must perforce humour it. It would be interesting to learn,
+for instance, how many thousands of pounds are sewn up in mattresses
+all over the country because the owners are chary concerning the
+integrity of bank-managers. They have no doubt whatever but that a
+bank is a paying concern (one Boer entered a bank recently and
+wanted to see the place where they made the money), but they would
+much rather keep their own money out of it, in case it should get
+mixed up with the earnings and savings of other people and be lost.
+The story runs that one old vrouw journeyed to town in her waggon one
+day for the express purpose of depositing L300 with the local bank,
+but when she found that they wanted to give her so much for keeping it
+(interest) instead of asking her to pay a small amount by way of
+compensation for taking charge of her money, she became suspicious and
+took her L300 back to the farm and the double grass mattress once
+more. It is unnecessary to state that this particular lady never
+trusted another banking institution.
+
+[Illustration: WAGGONS CROSSING RIVER]
+
+And so it is with other things. When once you have aroused suspicion
+in the Boer--and it sleeps lightly--you can safely say good-bye to him
+for ever. He knows within his heart that the English are bent upon
+taking advantage of him, and when a man makes up his mind like that
+he is seldom disappointed.
+
+There is one characteristic of the Boer which the most casual observer
+cannot fail to notice. It is his entire indifference to personal
+appearance. He likes to see his vrouw gorgeous in all the colours of
+the rainbow (pink and green being the favourites), and he doesn't mind
+if the material costs a little over ninepence a yard; but he evinces
+no desire to discard the suit he has himself worn for three or four
+years without a change. So long as it holds together, he is content to
+wear it, and he does not in the least mind what other people may say
+about it. It may be supposed that this applies exclusively to the
+poorer classes, but I can assure my readers that I have known it to be
+the case with scores of men who could well afford to wear a brand-new
+suit every day of the week and every month of the year. And what does
+this characteristic indicate? It indicates the man. He has no desire
+to advance beyond what he is--what his forefathers were. The latter
+manufactured their own clothing; they made their own shoes, and, had
+they been presented with a cast-off suit belonging to the Prince of
+Wales, they could not possibly have appreciated it, and they certainly
+would never have thought of wearing it. The Boer does not care to
+dress respectably; he prefers to finger the coin and sit down and
+watch the increase in his stock. He would have everything converted
+into stock, because that is his great ambition.
+
+Another thing--he lacks taste. His clothes never by any chance fit him
+(in the eyes of more refined people), and his boots are always three
+sizes too large; but then he thinks he is getting more for his money.
+If he must needs buy boots, he takes care that he invests his money in
+quantity, not quality, or style.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+
+The Boer would like to lay hands on the man who invented ploughs. Not
+that he has any aversion to ploughs as ploughs; he merely objects to
+the labour involved by the introduction of these implements into the
+market. He sees some sense in an ox, a sheep, a goat, and a horse. Put
+these animals on a bit of green veldt, and they do the rest
+themselves; they thrive and multiply, and enhance the position of
+their owner. But a plough! It means that he requires to take off his
+coat and stop doing nothing. The Boer would like to argue that if God
+had meant the soil to be disturbed by ploughs and such like, He would
+not have left the solution of this problem in the hands of mere
+inventors: He would have ordained a means whereby the soil would have
+of itself turned over once a year at springtime.
+
+The Boers are a pastoral people--one can hardly say an agricultural
+people. They have been that sort of people from the start, and they
+will never change. They are used to waggons and oxen and sheep, and
+the waggons and oxen and sheep have got quite used to them. There is
+abundance of proof in the Dutch Republics to satisfy any ordinary
+person that a Boer, no matter if he can count his sovereigns by the
+million, would never dream of giving up his farm and turning country
+gentleman. He may take no part in the actual work (and this is not
+much in his line under any circumstances), but he exercises that
+amount of careful supervision necessary to successful farming, and
+continues to do so until the end. Even the members of the Volksraad,
+who are usually well-to-do farmers, never neglect their crops, albeit
+a handsome income is assured in their official capacity.
+
+But does farming in the Dutch Republics pay? Most emphatically, No. I
+am not making this assertion because I have tried it myself, I am
+simply quoting the dictum of every Boer. I have been careful to
+obtain a consensus of opinion on this question for the guidance of
+those who may contemplate embarking upon such an unsatisfactory and
+dangerous undertaking. Farming does not pay. For my own satisfaction,
+I recently questioned a Boer with regard to his average yearly income,
+and he was good enough to humour me.
+
+The value of his stock worked out as follows:
+
+     1,000 sheep             say   L 500
+       100 head of cattle     "     1000
+        48 horses             "      480
+                                   -----
+                                   L1980
+                                   -----
+
+
+                                              L   s. d.
+His yearly clip averaged 10 bales @  L10  =  100  0  0
+On an average he sold:
+  20 head of cattle               "  L 8  =  160  0  0
+  10 horses                       "  L10  =  100  0  0
+  Butter, 1,000 pounds            "   1s. =   50  0  0
+  Hides and skin                        say    5  0  0
+  Horns                                  "     1  0  0
+  Mealies, 60 bags                "  12s. =   36  0  0
+  Forage, 5,000 bundles           "   3d. =   62 10  0
+  Kaffir corn, 30 bags            "  15s. =   22 10  0
+                                            -----------
+Total average yearly income                 L537  0  0
+                                            -----------
+
+It must not be supposed for one moment that here we have a rich man. I
+am merely citing the case of a farmer who said to me: 'I'd rather be a
+book-keeper at twenty-pounds a month.' He had no idea that his annual
+income figured up to anything like L537. And yet that same man would
+endeavour to make a good bargain in purchasing sixpennyworth of
+hairpins because he considered himself a 'poor man.'
+
+There are hundreds of farmers, more particularly in the Free State,
+who are unable to realize the extent of their wealth in stock or the
+acreage of their own farms. They brand every ox, sheep, and horse that
+belongs to them, and it is only by such marks that they are enabled to
+recognise their own property when they see it. I have known instances
+where hundreds of horses belonging to one man have succumbed in a
+single season on account of horse-sickness, and their owner regarded
+the loss as a mere trifle, because he knew that such a catastrophe did
+not materially affect his position.
+
+Klondyke had its 'millionaires in huts,' Boerland has its millionaires
+in hovels. You will find farmers who are worth many thousands of
+pounds living in places under whose roofs a Kaffir would certainly
+disdain to pass the night. They possess wives and families, too, but
+they exhibit no desire to better their domestic surroundings. If the
+houses happen to include another room other than the living room, that
+extra room is invariably used for storing grain. The women are untidy
+and unprepossessing, and the children have not yet learned to
+appreciate stockings and shoes. It is almost paradoxical to think of
+human beings in a civilized country living such lives, people who have
+great possibilities within their reach. The children readily
+assimilate the habits and ways of their parents, and grow up into men
+and women of a like type, and so on from generation to generation. No
+wonder, then, that the Boers are a retrograde race.
+
+[Illustration: A BOER FAMILY.]
+
+It has been made sufficiently plain that when once the Boers have
+acquired a country, they allow that country to rest in peace--from
+an agricultural point of view only. This is quite apparent when it is
+explained that the Free State has an estimated acreage of 7,491,500,
+and out of that only 75,000 acres are cultivated. This is not the
+fault of the country, but of the Boer himself. He has no sooner
+settled down on a bit of land, where there is a plentiful growth of
+grass to feed his stock, than he longs for pastures new, his only
+reason for staying where he is being that he does not want the
+Englishman to step into his homestead.
+
+No exhibition of national prejudice is intended when I say that were
+the Dutch Republics sprinkled with a few hundred Scottish farmers,
+these countries would assume a more fertile and healthy aspect in two
+or three years. The soil is good; all that is wanted is concentrated
+hard work, and the countries would surprise several people--the Boers,
+for instance--by the extent of their agricultural wealth. There are,
+of course, climatic disadvantages to contend against--prolonged
+droughts are of common occurrence--but, as in other countries, the
+farmer must take the bad with the good. The great thing with the Boer
+is stock, and plenty of it. He does not care about anything else until
+the rinderpest comes.
+
+Comparisons are odious, but let us compare the Boer with the English
+farmers. Should the harvests of the latter be destroyed (as in the
+case of an entire county of farmers in England at one time), ruin
+stares them in the face, showing that stock is of little moment. It is
+different in the case of the Boer. Take his stock away from him, and
+you deprive him of his daily bread. Of course, the facilities for
+successful cultivation in England are different from those in the
+Dutch Republics; at the same time, there is such a thing as
+irrigation, and were this resorted to more generally, and a larger
+area of land put under cultivation, the Boer farmer would be on a more
+stable footing.
+
+A somewhat erroneous deduction has been gleaned by many people from
+guide-books, in which particulars are given respecting the limited
+extent of arable land available, but guide-book makers mostly prefer
+to guess at the figures rather than go to the trouble of ascertaining
+the truth. Without further reference to the guide-books, it is
+noteworthy that the possibilities of both the Transvaal and Free State,
+from an agricultural point of view, are greatly under-estimated, the
+fact being that a very small proportion of arable land is cultivated at
+all. In a number of cases water facilities are entirely ignored.
+
+Wool is the current coin of the country with the Boer farmers, and the
+merchant who is desirous of continuing his business must have a
+certain amount of capital behind him, because the farmer likes to see
+money at least once a year. Things have changed somewhat now. In the
+olden days it was different. It was absolutely necessary then to put
+down a cheque for the full amount, but the average farmer is becoming
+less suspicious in transactions of this nature.
+
+The life of the merchant during the wool season is not exactly a happy
+one. He likes to please his customers, but he does not always
+succeed. The average farmer who comes in with a load of wool has the
+appearance of a man whose primary intention is to buy up all the
+stores (although he may go away with a bag of coffee only), and
+afterwards consider with great deliberation the question of acquiring
+the whole town. All this is based upon the fact that he has a load of
+wool for sale. The merchant would rather give him five shillings than
+fivepence per pound, because it would be a certain sign that the good
+times had arrived. No matter, however, what price the merchant offers,
+your average farmer can always obtain more. He does not say where; he
+prefers to keep that up his sleeve. He also advances by farthings and
+halfpence, because he is chary about entering into the intricacies of
+eighths. He, moreover, strongly objects to accepting a lower price
+than that given to his neighbour. His neighbour may be an excellent
+man, and he may be in possession of very good sheep, but that his wool
+should be more valuable is not so apparent--is, in fact, most
+improbable. Every farmer has implicit faith in the merits of his own
+particular clip, and if differences really exist, he is prepared to
+state emphatically that the advantage is on his side.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+
+There has been a good deal of speculation as to why the Boers are such
+experts with the rifle, but that is easily and naturally explained. In
+the first place, they know their own country, and that is a decided
+advantage where bare veldt is concerned. An Englishman on the same
+ground would make mistakes, and probably sight his rifle at 200 yards;
+but the Boer puts his up to 500 yards and kills his game, whilst the
+Englishman, with his imperfect knowledge of the country, misses it.
+When the Dutch first settled in South Africa, they were compelled
+either to shoot their dinner or go without. So they began straight
+away by shooting their dinner--and they have been able to shoot it
+ever since. In warfare, too, they know exactly how to proceed. They
+know that it is policy to shoot the Englishmen and save their own
+skins. So they get behind large stones and shoot the Englishmen. They
+know, further, that the best guarantee of success is to wait
+patiently. They know nothing about military discipline, and they don't
+want to know anything about it. According to their idea, this is how
+the crack British regiments proceed: They march up in a body--close
+order--and when they come within range of the Boers the commanding
+officer gives the following commands: 'Halt! Attention! Present!
+Fire!' And by the time the commanding officer has given the word
+'Fire!' the Boers, comfortably stationed behind stones, have shot
+those regiments down! There is, perhaps, some truth in this.
+
+But the Boer, after all, believes in peace. It suits him better to be
+on his farm, with a pipe in his mouth, and Kaffirs to do all the work,
+while he walks around his acres and finds fault. They stick to their
+country, and they fight for their country; but they don't like
+fighting much. I came across one particular Boer who had been at
+Majuba, and who was perfectly clear in his own mind that he did not
+care much about it; and he did not entertain favourably the idea of
+further warfare. He explained that he quietly got behind the customary
+stone, and shot round the corners. During the time he was thus amusing
+himself, the stone was struck by fifteen English bullets, and he did
+not calculate on waiting to see what effect number sixteen would have,
+so he left that stone. The Boers are always very reticent where the
+number of their killed is concerned. In English circles it is
+jocularly asserted that only one Boer was killed at Majuba, and all
+the other Boers went into mourning for him. It is not known, and never
+will be known, how many were killed at Krugersdorp by Jameson's men.
+There is one thing, however, which goes to prove that a good number
+must have succumbed on that occasion. It is rumoured that the Boers do
+not want any more fighting with men who shoot as straight as those
+comprising Jameson's Horse.
+
+[Illustration: MAJUBA HILL.]
+
+Defence in the Transvaal and Orange Free State is provided for
+principally by the burghers, who are liable to be called upon for
+active service between the ages of eighteen and sixty. The mounted
+police force in both Republics is comparatively small, and the
+permanent corps of artillery in each case is also small. The Boers do
+not, as a matter of fact, repose much confidence in artillery at any
+time, and they regard the mounted police force as valuable only in
+time of peace. The burghers themselves comprise the entire force. In
+the Free State alone there are 17,000 burghers liable to be called up
+on commando at a moment's notice.
+
+The country is divided into districts, and each district is under the
+charge of a Commandant and a Field-cornet. The duty of the latter is
+to warn the burghers on receipt of instructions from his Chief, and he
+may also call a meeting of burghers in his district should any crisis
+of a serious nature be imminent. On the whole, the Field-cornet's life
+is not a happy one; and although he has numerous opportunities of
+making himself objectionable and disagreeable, he usually prefers to
+perform his onerous duties in a humble and unassuming spirit. In times
+of peace those duties are few. In the first place, he must satisfy
+himself that all the burghers in his district are in possession of
+rifles and ammunition; and in the second place, he must call the
+burghers together once a year for inspection. The good old times are
+now over when a score of burghers could with impunity produce one and
+the same rifle. In those days it was customary for burghers to appear
+for inspection when convenient to themselves, and in these
+circumstances it was not a difficult matter to borrow your neighbour's
+rifle and present it as your own. But this little game was found out,
+and an order was at once issued to the effect that all burghers must
+assemble at one particular hour. The weapons used are of different
+kinds, but they must all be breech-loaders. Every burgher must
+likewise be in possession of thirty rounds of ammunition, and in time
+of war the Government supply unlimited ammunition. Should the burghers
+be called out to action, they must supply themselves with provisions
+to last fourteen days. This might be difficult to carry out, but the
+explanation is simple. The provisions consist solely of biltong--that
+is, dried meat, generally venison. The sustenance contained in even an
+inch of this is such that the fourteen days' provision amounts to but
+little in bulk. It is said that if a Boer has a rifle, ammunition, and
+a piece of biltong in his pocket, he will fight till further orders.
+
+It is surprising how quickly the burgher forces can be levied. This
+was made very apparent when Dr. Jameson marched into the country on
+December 29, 1895. It is also well known that news travels quickly,
+even in the outlying districts, and in this respect the Boers appear
+to be quite as remarkable as the Kaffirs.
+
+All this military discipline might seem to be only good in itself,
+were it not for the fact that the Boers still retain their reputation
+for being good shots. Even the young men are not behind their fathers
+in the masterly manipulation of their rifles; in fact, while a large
+number of Englishmen are reputed to be born with silver spoons in
+their mouths, the birth-right of every Boer is undoubtedly the rifle.
+
+Both in the Transvaal and Free State there exists a healthy spirit of
+rivalry between Englishman and Boer in the shooting line. Competitions
+are very frequently arranged; it is to the credit of the colonial
+Englishman that he can give a good account of himself, and at the same
+time hold his own against any Boer. This is fortunate, because the
+Boer always respects a man who can record as many bull's-eyes as
+himself, no matter what his nationality may be. The great opportunity
+the Boer had of giving vent to his contempt for the English was when
+the latter appeared on the battlefield in compact regiments, and
+afforded the best possible target for shooting at from behind the now
+proverbial stone.
+
+In these times of universal political difficulties it may be
+interesting to survey the position of the Orange Free State now that
+war has actually broken out with Great Britain. There is a patriotism
+lurking in the breast of the Boer which would indicate that his great
+aim was the overthrow of the hated Englishman. It would not be
+advisable to quote the opinion the generality of Boers have of the
+poor Englishman; needless to say it is strong, emphatic,
+comprehensive, and by no means complimentary. Obviously the origin of
+such opinion concentrates in the fact that the Englishman is too
+persevering in other people's countries, and, moreover, shows an
+aptitude for developing the said countries which, in the opinion of
+the Boer, is altogether too progressive. It is, of course, a pity that
+the Englishman cannot accommodate himself to the antiquated ideas of
+the Boer, because if he could, he would probably exonerate himself in
+the Dutch eyes, and at the same time find himself away back in the
+eighteenth century. But in this advanced age he is too much for the
+Boer, and this is probably the explanation of the existing friction.
+
+The Orange Free State has all along evinced a helping-hand where
+Transvaal broils have occurred. This is not surprising, considering
+that the Free State is governed by a Volksraad wholly in sympathy with
+the mighty Oom Paul. In the time of President Brand things were
+slightly different, although even his Volksraad held him in check and
+exercised its own influence. But President Brand had sense enough to
+see that participation in Transvaal difficulties could in no way
+benefit the Free State, and, in fact, that interference was not
+desirable or advisable. When the previous Boer War broke out, he
+intimated that no commandeering would be enforced in the Free State,
+but that those burghers who chose to engage in warfare might do so. He
+would take no active steps until the independence of the Free State
+was endangered.
+
+His successor in office, President Reitz, was not credited with
+anything in particular, but it was understood that should the
+Volksraad decide to co-operate with the Transvaal in any instance, he
+would willingly give his consent. This was confirmed when Dr.
+Jameson's entrance into the Transvaal was made known. Three
+districts of the Free State were promptly commandeered, and burghers
+swarmed to the border.
+
+[Illustration: A BOER ENCAMPMENT]
+
+About the same time President Reitz vacated his office, and President
+Steyn is now at the head of affairs. President Steyn has now
+conclusively shown his sympathy with the Transvaal, and his occasional
+interviews with Oom Paul were presumably for the purpose of ratifying
+the compact from time to time. This is confirmed by the fact that the
+Volksraad some considerable time ago proclaimed that, when hostilities
+broke out in the Transvaal, the burghers were to hold themselves in
+readiness to proceed to the border. This was not merely with the
+object of protecting the border, but to render assistance to those
+across the border, and now they have joined their neighbours in
+invading Natal.
+
+The feeling amongst Englishmen in the Free State was, of course,
+strong, but Englishmen are not considered in the matter at all. If
+they are burghers of the State, they must perforce conform to the
+laws thereof, and fight to the death even against their own relations.
+If they refuse to go to the front, it is not certain what would
+happen.
+
+There is another aspect of the question, and a serious one, too. When
+the Free State burghers were called to the border, and war was
+actually declared, they feared that they would return to their homes
+only to find that their wives and children had been murdered, their
+cattle stolen, and their property burnt to the ground. This new and
+terrible danger came from Basutoland. The Basutos have a grudge
+against the Boers, and they were only waiting an opportunity to wipe
+out that grudge for ever. They are a warlike race, they are well
+supplied with arms, and their horsemanship is notorious. They like the
+Englishman, but they look upon the Boer as something to wipe off the
+face of the earth. Of course, their discrimination between English and
+Dutch when the time comes for them to take action, if it ever does
+come, will not save the Englishmen in the Free State.
+
+The Basuto question may not have escaped the notice of the Volksraad
+in their anxiety to assist their brethren in the Transvaal, but their
+action would seem to indicate that it had. Had they been wise, they
+would have left their sister country to settle its own affairs, and
+have looked nearer home for something to do; but this view, although
+now too late, may already have engaged their attention.
+
+Apart from the Government of the country, it may be interesting to
+reflect upon the opinions of the burghers themselves, i.e., the Dutch
+burghers. The majority of the young men originally favoured the action
+of the Volksraad. They had not tasted war; they had only heard about
+it; and their contempt for the English race generally suggested a
+trial. Their enthusiasm was undoubtedly great, and the idea of lending
+a helping-hand to another country evidently fascinated them. But their
+elders have now come to look upon interference as bad policy, and they
+dread the possibility of handing over their possessions to the wily
+Basuto. The feelings of the Free State Boers towards their English
+friends were scarcely so vindictive as in the Transvaal, but perhaps
+that is because there are no gold mines in the Free State.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+
+It must not be supposed that the intelligent Boer is non-existent;
+but, as I have said, he is in the minority. He reads the newspapers,
+and he has a great deal to say on both sides. He has very few personal
+prejudices; his whole concern is concentrated in a desire to further
+the progress of the country. His mind is developed; he does not regard
+the Englishman as an interloper; he wants 'to live and let live.'
+
+There is, unfortunately, the other element, a most undesirable
+one--the Boer who is continually stirring up ill-feeling. You will
+find him everywhere, and he is always at it. If his own brother
+happened to be an educated man, he could not get on with him; his
+nature is despicable. President Kruger thinks that race hatred will
+gradually disappear, for 'wherever love dwells, prosperity must
+follow.' Can anyone imagine love existing in the nature of the man I
+have cited? President Kruger himself is an educated man, an able man
+in his own sphere. If he practises the art of brotherly love to the
+same extent that he preaches it, why does he not make some arrangement
+by which it would be possible to instil a portion of the sentiment
+into some of his erring children? Then we should have no more racial
+hatred to concern ourselves with; we should have instead the inspiring
+spectacle of a reclaimed Dutchman falling upon the neck of his English
+next-door neighbour and weeping.
+
+At the same time, however, even supposing Oom Paul's influence were
+capable of producing such picturesque results, it would be well
+meantime if a little fundamental education could be introduced. This
+may seem impracticable at the first blush, considering that the
+population is so widely scattered, but no doubt there is some hidden
+solution. Ignorance is accountable in a great measure for the
+ill-feeling which exists between Dutch and English, and rancour cannot
+be removed until ignorance is ordered out through the back-door.
+
+[Illustration: RAADZAAL, OR BOER PARLIAMENT HOUSE.]
+
+There is also the fact that the generality of the people exhibit
+little or no interest in the leaders of their Government. It is said
+that the perusal of biography ennobles and develops the mind. This is
+also the case when a man follows with interest and profit the mature
+reasoning and diplomatical tact of some of our present-day
+politicians. I say some of them, because not all of them exhibit that
+intellectual refinement which characterized the great Plato. Still, a
+great many people might acquire a tolerable education if they applied
+themselves to the perusal of newspapers in this way, and it is my firm
+belief that the Boers would benefit by such a course.
+
+The average Boer does not know exactly the meaning of the word
+'politics,' except that in most things he prefers to be conservative.
+He likes to move along very quietly, without any outside
+interference. He knows full well that he has sent his representative
+to Parliament, and he leaves that member severely alone. Sometimes the
+member calls a public meeting of his own accord, and the Boer attends
+that meeting, not because he is anxious to bring forward any matter
+affecting the welfare of his country or district, nor because the
+member has failed to satisfy him, but merely because he is desirous of
+meeting his fellow-men and discussing crops and Kaffirs and oxen and
+sheep and wool--in short, anything outside of politics, in which he
+professes no interest whatever. He is not interested in general
+measures for the benefit of the whole country; his attention is fully
+occupied with the affairs of his own particular piece of land, and so
+long as he himself prospers, he does not trouble about the prosperity
+or otherwise of his neighbours.
+
+Oom Paul is the leading light, and should he elect to do this or that,
+he need exercise no discretion concerning the probable feeling of the
+country. He is the man at the wheel, and the crew have such implicit
+faith in him that he can practically steer where he wills. He may
+sometimes experience a little opposition in the House, but he is
+long-headed as well as hard-headed, and he invariably holds the trump
+card. He is not a Boer in the ordinary sense of the word; he is only a
+Boer in the sense that he smokes hard and prefers coffee. He lives in
+a very ordinary dwelling-house, and it is even stated that his vrouw
+starches and irons his dress-shirts, but this may only be surmise. At
+all events he does not allow these trifles to worry him, his renowned
+diplomacy being directed chiefly to the management of his cosmopolitan
+children, who are apt occasionally to wax troublesome and exceed the
+bounds of caution.
+
+[Illustration: PRESIDENT KRUGER'S HOUSE.]
+
+When a Government assumes a more or less aggressive attitude, or
+something tantamount, it is safe to predict that such a Government
+will encounter difficulties. It may be a good Government; but it will
+not be a successful one. The actions of any Government reflect upon
+the country, adversely or otherwise. In a country like the Transvaal,
+the Government is a weighty concern which does not so much consider
+the voice of the people as the preservation of its own individual
+sanctity. The presidential chair represents the universal criterion
+either for good or for evil, although it is not usually associated
+with evil. It practises the art of cabling--with Mr. Chamberlain for
+preference. The voice of the people is duly represented, but it is a
+very weak and halfhearted voice. There is not that hearty ring in it
+which is so marked when, for instance, a crowd of Englishmen greet
+their Queen. President Kruger represents the Transvaal burghers, and
+the requisitions which are published previous to the Presidential
+election are sufficient and convincing proof that he is a popular and
+highly respected man. These requisitions usually refer in a general
+way to the numerous difficulties through which Oom Paul has so ably
+piloted the country. According to such requisitions innumerable
+difficulties have assailed the poor country on all sides, and the
+general tone throughout would imply that they were insidious and
+uncalled for. The country had done nothing; the people had gone about
+their business innocently, and attended church regularly, and no
+thoughts of intrigue or anything resembling it had existed in their
+bosoms. Their desire was to govern the country honestly and with a
+view only to its prosperity, adopting precautions at the same time
+which would exclude the participation of foreigners--Englishmen, for
+example. They didn't believe in the English element; it was too
+dangerous. The President all the while tried to make out that he liked
+the English; but he didn't. Of course, a great Power like the
+Transvaal must keep up appearances. The German Emperor, for instance,
+doesn't say straight out that the English are a bad lot, and therefore
+Oom Paul must not display official ignorance by doing that which the
+German Emperor does not do. A man may not exactly be born a King, or a
+President, but he can learn a lot of useful little formalities by
+watching the other Kings and Presidents. It will be observed,
+therefore, that the Transvaal has all along been very docile and
+consequently very badly used. And because it has displayed the best
+and noblest qualities and on all occasions endeavoured to obviate
+friction with other people, it has been unjustly assailed and trampled
+upon.
+
+Oom Paul is a very good man, but he kicks at the traces a great deal.
+He likes to go out of his way to find out what other people are saying
+about him, and he displays, moreover, another undesirable
+characteristic--he is suspicious. It is in the family; it is in the
+whole people. He is continually working himself up into the condition
+of a man whose highly-strung nerves convince him that the whole world
+is against him. He always imagined that everybody was working out
+plans of campaign by which it would be possible to annex the Transvaal
+to the British Empire. Fortunately there were other matters and other
+countries to consider, and if Oom Paul would just study a map of the
+world for a few weeks and reflect, he would probably find his position
+less irksome. But Oom Paul has a great deal to think about--he must
+think for the whole nation. The 'unfortunate affair which occurred
+after 1895' seems to trouble him a great deal. Despite the fact that
+the country was well paid for it, this incident seems fated to crop up
+at least every six months, and it will be handed down to generations
+untold, so that it may ever be kept green. It will be nurtured and
+well looked after, and the one regret will be that it does not bring
+in an annual income in proportion to the original amount.
+
+[Illustration: PRESIDENT KRUGER.]
+
+The Boer's politics are summed up in the single word 'Defence.' He is
+not aggressive, but he is strong on Defence. Possession with him is
+ten points of the law--it is everything. Let the independence of his
+country be threatened, and he is at once a man of action. He
+figuratively converts his ploughshare into a sword, although the uses
+of that weapon are unknown to him. At the time of the Jameson Raid it
+may safely be asserted that there did not exist a single Boer--young
+or old--who was not in possession of a serviceable firearm and the
+full complement of ammunition. The Kantoors--i.e., the Government
+offices--were daily besieged by eager men as eager to possess
+themselves of the instruments and munitions of war. Every man was
+ready; farmers were no longer farmers, but soldiers, prepared to face
+the worst in the defence of their only love--their country.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+
+The Boer is not what one would call a sentimental person; he is
+practical in all his ways. If he sees a thunderstorm approaching, he
+does not go into raptures over the magnificence of the lightning; he
+watches that thunderstorm calmly and philosophically. And if he had
+anything to do with the order of the elements, he would have that
+thunderstorm come his way, and he would detain it exactly three days
+over his particular farm, so that the rain should leave a lasting
+impression upon his mealies and forage. The Boer likes wet weather,
+probably because he gets so little of it.
+
+I have said that the Boer is practical in all things; he is even so in
+love. The old story concerning the 'opzit' candle may have applied in
+former days, but the Boer of the present day does not waste his time
+in any such fashion. He has probably become cognisant of the
+match-making methods practised by other nations, and he has,
+therefore, abandoned that affected by his forefathers. It is still a
+common thing, however, to see him astride a horse with a sleek skin
+and noble appearance and plenty of life in it, cantering gaily towards
+the residence of his beloved or intended. Sometimes, too, in order,
+perhaps, to add more lustre to his own appearance, he is to be seen
+suffering untold agony under the unyielding brim of a tall, white felt
+hat, trimmed with green veiling. He likes to look imposing, and so he
+gets under that hat. This in many instances may account for the
+restiveness of his steed, which is as yet unaccustomed to the weight
+of a person with such a grotesque headgear.
+
+The Boer has several methods of courting. There is one thing he
+objects very strongly to, however--he doesn't like courting in a
+drawing-room; he prefers a dark and quiet corner on the veranda. Let
+us picture a little scene in this connection. Observe young Piet,
+dressed in his best Sunday suit, and wearing a worried look in
+addition, sitting on one end of a long form that stands on the veranda
+of the house; and observe also a fair young damsel, who has just been
+initiated into the art of doing her hair up on top, sitting on the
+other extreme end of that form. The night may be dark and only the
+stars visible, or the moon may be shining brightly overhead, casting
+shadows awry here and there, and endeavouring to catch a furtive
+glimpse of the lovers under cover of the veranda.
+
+A painful silence takes the place of conversation at the outset, and
+young Piet occasionally coughs in an apologetic manner. When he does
+sum up sufficient courage, the moon has travelled a considerable
+distance; but then Piet is not so sentimental as to make any reference
+whatever to the moon.
+
+'That's a fine horse your father has bought of Dirk Odendaal,' says
+Piet, in a tone which suggests that his new paper collar, purchased
+for the occasion, is choking him.
+
+A two minutes' pause ensues.
+
+'Ja! Piet,' agreeably assents the maiden after an interval which Piet
+reckons must be at least half an hour--and he has forgotten about the
+new horse altogether.
+
+'Your father's oxen are looking well after the rain,' continues Piet
+some minutes later; and this time he has reduced the space between
+himself and the maiden by about three inches.
+
+After the lapse of another few minutes, the maiden, who is evidently
+bashful, ventures again, 'Ja! Piet.'
+
+Piet's eyes wander away across the open veldt in front of him, and
+gradually from the observation of kopjes, they wander upwards towards
+the pale moon; but, as has already been remarked, that luminary
+suggests no new theme in the mind of Piet.
+
+'The last Nachtmaal was very good.'
+
+With this he once more edges away from his end of the form and covers
+an additional three inches.
+
+'Ja! Piet.'
+
+Another person would have become exasperated at this stage, but not so
+Piet.
+
+'The new minister preaches very well,' is followed up by an advance of
+three more inches.
+
+'Ja, Piet!'
+
+The form may be an inconveniently long one, and this naturally hampers
+Piet somewhat, because by the time he has covered half the distance,
+his stock of remarks may be exhausted. But he gets close up in time,
+by the exercise of perseverance, and when he is at last in a position
+to manipulate his left arm in connection with the maiden's waist, he
+does so with a sigh of relief.
+
+'I think I love you a great deal,' is what he says when he has placed
+his arm to his satisfaction. The maiden whispers 'Ja, Piet!' and the
+thing is done.
+
+But the young Boer does not attach so much importance to pleasant
+features and agreeable dispositions, as he does to the worldly
+standing of the lady's parents. If there is the slightest prospect of
+a handsome dowry in the shape of one or two farms, the inducement to
+enter into married bliss is, of course, greater than in the case of
+the young lady who merely brings with her a nice set of false teeth
+and a pleasant countenance. Young widows are in great demand
+throughout the country, because, as a rule, they are in possession of
+farms and stock which require the undivided attention of a responsible
+man, and that man must be a husband.
+
+Such an instance occurred only the other day. This very fortunate
+young man, before his betrothal, could conveniently count his riches
+on the fingers of his left hand--in pence! But he is happy now,
+because he can bring in a load of wool every year with his own waggon
+and oxen, and talk to the merchant with all the swagger and assurance
+of a full-blown capitalist.
+
+It must not be supposed that such occurrences are uncommon; they
+happen almost every week, which would seem to indicate that rich young
+widows are very plentiful.
+
+In these latter days a Boer wedding is arranged on a very grand scale.
+No matter if the young couple reside fifty miles from the nearest
+town, they all come in to church to get fixed up. Friends and
+relations arrive, with great ostentation, in conveyances drawn by
+four, six, and sometimes eight, horses, the number depending on the
+wealth of the families. They come from far and near. You can see them
+coming to town when they are yet miles away across the veldt--that is,
+if the day is bright. The dresses of the women-folks flash gaily in
+the sun, and the old vrouw would not change places with the Queen of
+Holland as she proudly surveys her offspring seated around her in the
+wagonette. The old man presides unctuously at the ribbons, and he
+cracks his whip every now and then just to let his team know that he
+is there, and that he is a very capable person.
+
+[Illustration: DUTCH CHURCH (PRETORIA)]
+
+The generality of weddings are uninteresting, but occasionally
+something unique is introduced. In the town of Harrismith a very long
+time ago, a transport-rider decided to take unto himself a fair
+partner. He was a practical sort of person, and in cases of this kind
+he did not believe in allowing business to become a secondary
+consideration. Transport-riding in those days paid very handsomely,
+and the intervention of side issues might have meant a serious loss.
+Accordingly, this particular gentleman (who had meantime been loading
+up coal) repaired to his tent-waggon at the appointed hour, and
+proceeded to attire himself in the conventional black suit. In order
+to economize time, he pulled his best clothes over his working
+garments, and hastily rubbing his face and hands with a coarse towel,
+he hurried towards the church. Within ten minutes he was back again
+loading up coal, his better half being occupied in preparing dinner.
+
+The Dutch are not a musical nation, and for convincing proof it is
+only necessary to attend Divine service in any of their churches.
+Their rendition of psalm-tunes reminds me of A.K.H.B.'s story
+regarding the lonely Italian, who, passing the Iron Church in
+Edinburgh one Sunday morning while the congregation were engaged in
+praise, and on inquiring of the beadle 'What that horrible noise was?'
+remarked very sorrowfully, 'Then their God must have no ear for
+music' It is strange, nevertheless, that no matter how poor a Boer may
+be, he will have an organ in his house. There are instances
+innumerable where the only respectable piece of furniture in the house
+is an organ. It does not, of course, follow that every Boer is a
+musician, but it is a fact that nearly every Boer knows how to produce
+at least one tune, even if it is only the Volkslied or national
+anthem. They will come into the stores, and the first thing they do is
+to sit down at an organ and show people generally what they can do. In
+the meantime the English merchant and his clerks fume around and vow
+all sorts of things under their breath, but the indefatigable Boer
+knows nothing of all this, and he would not care if he did.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+
+Besides the everlasting worry of keeping the English community in
+hand, the Boers have been visited by other plagues, such as
+rinderpest. In 1897 such a calamity befell them, and although the rich
+farmers did not suffer materially, the poorer class experienced
+reverses sufficient to discourage them for life. The mistake made was
+simply this (and it is characteristic of the Boers): every individual
+farmer and owner of stock exercised his own judgment throughout, and
+the most drastic results followed as a consequence. Temporary
+excitement naturally took the place of clear judgment. A man may be
+possessed of all his faculties and yet lack that knowledge which would
+save 95 per cent. of his cattle. The desire to save the cattle was
+there, but the farmers were too prone to accept the first method
+which turned up. Without even considering thoroughly the merits and
+demerits of any particular method, they rushed at it with the same
+prospect of success as might be attributed to a blind man going in
+search of the North Pole. Of course the system would 'either kill or
+cure.' That was how the majority of them put it. The veterinary
+surgeons received very little encouragement. If a Boer makes up his
+mind that his cattle are going to die, he likes to have all the honour
+of killing them himself, and he does not want any vet. about his
+place, propounding advanced theories which he does not understand.
+Added to this, it appears that when the disease first made its
+appearance in the country, certain vets, made themselves so ridiculous
+in the eyes of the farmers who invited them to inspect sick cattle,
+that distrust immediately took the place of suspicion, and confidence
+was never established.
+
+[Illustration: BOER CATTLE FARM NEAR MAJUBA.]
+
+The farmers who managed to save a considerable number of cattle were
+not slow to make hay while the sun shone, and some of them may
+probably have turned up their noses at the mere mention of the Yukon
+goldfields. Prospecting for gold is a somewhat risky business, but the
+Boer looks upon transactions in salted oxen as eminently satisfactory,
+more especially where the buyer negotiates the risks. Nothing affords
+him more pleasure than to hand over twenty or thirty oxen, and receive
+in exchange twenty-five pounds per head. But, unlike the English
+problem, rinderpest is not always with the Boer.
+
+In this connection there is a story to the effect that a certain Boer
+farmer discovered one day that his cattle had contracted a very
+serious disease, and he was advised by the Government vet., who
+happened to be passing that way, to inoculate immediately, and after
+the lapse of ten days to repeat the process. When the vet. returned a
+few weeks later he was surprised to learn that the majority of the
+cattle had died.
+
+'But that was impossible if you acted on the instructions I gave
+you,' he said to the farmer.
+
+'Ja!' answered the latter, 'that may be, but I didn't do what you told
+me; I only inoculated once.'
+
+'And why didn't you do it a second time?' pursued the vet.
+
+'Oh,' replied the Boer, 'because the vrouw said I hadn't to.'
+
+[Illustration: SHOOTING RINDERPEST OXEN.]
+
+The Boer seldom does anything without first consulting his wife, and it
+is hinted that the wives made a very bad job of the rinderpest. The
+vrouw steers the ship. It is so when the whole family goes to town to
+make the half-yearly purchases. In the stores the husband will be found
+in deep and earnest conversation with his better half, relative perhaps
+to the quantity of barbed wire or coffee or woolpacks--anything and
+everything required at the time. All this would seem to point to a
+plain fact, namely, that the vrouw not only excels in physical
+proportions, but also in the matter of brains. There can be no doubt
+about the first mentioned, and there seems to be little question about
+the other as well. It is authoritatively stated that at the time of the
+Boer War the women were so bitter against the English that they spurred
+on the men to do things which they themselves deemed foolhardy. This
+anti-English feeling seems to have been intensified since then, and it
+is often jocularly remarked by Englishmen in the country that so long
+as an enemy makes things square with the womenfolk they need have no
+fear of the men. The women may have the reputation of knowing and doing
+more than the men, but they are certainly not thrifty. They are kind to
+travellers (provided they come on horseback and not on foot); but their
+kindness is too often spoiled by the dirt and general undesirability of
+the atmosphere within their dwellings. A traveller can appreciate a cup
+of coffee after a long ride; but he likes to have it in a clean dish,
+and it rather damps his ardour when he finds that he is expected to
+take the mud along with it.
+
+[Illustration: WAGGON ON PONTOON OVER RIVER.]
+
+In this connection there is still another story. This story is related
+by a commercial traveller, and in order to establish its
+authenticity it is only necessary to remark that it has been related
+by at least six different commercial travellers, and in every case the
+incident has occurred within the experience of each and all.
+
+The commercial gentleman (no matter which one) having been overtaken
+on the road by a severe thunderstorm, and arriving at a spruit which
+he found he could not then cross with safety, put back to a small
+farmhouse near by. After much parley on both sides, the Boer who owned
+the place agreed to give the traveller and his driver shelter for the
+night, provided they would sleep in an outhouse, where the horses
+could also be put up. Being only too glad to obtain shelter of any
+sort, the traveller readily accepted the offer. At this point each
+traveller who has told the story breaks into a graphic description of
+how he passed the night, and how many rats he and the driver killed,
+and how much of his clothes they devoured, and how he couldn't sleep
+because of the presence of pigs and fowls in addition, which seemed
+to resent the invasion. Then comes the dawn of another day, and, which
+is more important (before its appearance), breakfast. A cloth was
+spread on a box in the mud-floor dwelling, and eggs and coffee placed
+thereon. The commercial was evidently expected to eat the eggs anyhow,
+so long as he did eat them; for there was nothing visible in the shape
+of a spoon. The Boer and his vrouw did not put in an appearance at
+breakfast, no doubt disdaining to look upon an Englishman any more
+than was absolutely necessary. He had almost concluded this rude and
+somewhat unsatisfactory meal when the vrouw entered. She was fat and
+dirty, and her clothing had apparently been renewed from time
+immemorial by much mending. She now rested her great hands on her
+hips, and calmly surveyed the English party and the breakfast-table
+for a few seconds. Then she spoke, in Dutch; but he understood--too
+well:
+
+'Have you finished?'
+
+'Yes,' he replied in the 'lands taal'; 'but surely you are in a very
+great hurry. I will pay you well for the food and shelter.'
+
+'That's nothing,' continued the vrouw in a business-like tone; 'I only
+want the tablecloth so that I can get the bed made.'
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+
+The Boer is a pious person, who prays to God when he wants rain, and
+forgets to pray when his mealie crop proves a success. Unlike other
+people, he does not believe in thanksgiving when he shells one hundred
+bags of mealies where he only expected twenty. He has no 'harvest
+home.' He simply stores his mealies until such time as he can bring
+them to town and obtain the best possible price. But let the rain stop
+away too long and the sun wither up his crops, and he is a very
+different man. In every Boer house there is a large Bible, and that
+Bible is systematically read and re-read when the fates are unkind.
+The very low class Boer is, of course, unable to read his Bible, but
+he takes it over to his nearest neighbour, whose education may not
+have been neglected to the same extent.
+
+[Illustration: BOERS OUTSPANNED FOR NACHTMAAL.]
+
+The Boer journeys to town once every three months with his family in
+order to attend Divine Service. These occasions are known as
+Nachtmaal. He brings his waggon with him, and outspans on some open
+space within the town. When he cannot arrange for a room or rooms
+gratis, he sleeps in his tent waggon. He very seldom goes to a hotel,
+unless this course is absolutely necessary. If he does go to a hotel,
+he engages a room only, and dines alongside his waggon or else he goes
+to his particular storekeeper and indulges in sardines and sweet
+biscuits He is great on sardines, and his only regret perhaps, is that
+the tin is not edible also.
+
+A Dutch Nachtmaal in the olden days was a sight quite equal to any
+Lord Mayor's show. The costumes were unique; but in the present day
+the womenfolk in particular have learned to ape the English, and the
+colours are therefore less conspicuous. Formerly the young ladies wore
+short dresses of many colours, and the display of white stockings was
+very general. The men appeared in black felt hats with huge brims,
+and frock-coats (most of them bordering on green) were the order of
+the day. Veldschoens of home manufacture were never wanting, but in
+these latter days veldschoens are regarded with contempt.
+
+The man who probably suffers most at Nachtmaal-time is the organist,
+for organs are now regarded as indispensable. An organist is usually a
+man of a sensitive nature, and on such occasions his ideas of good
+music are apt to be completely demoralized. Nevertheless, he gets
+along as best he can, and even if he happens to be dragging a
+congregation numbering three hundred voices seven whole notes behind
+his instrument, he continues to suffer nobly and silently.
+
+The services commence at 7 a.m., and continue throughout the day until
+9.30 p.m. Baptisms occupy a few hours during the afternoon, and the
+most common names for youthful burghers are Gert, Barend, Paul, Piet,
+and such like. The Boers do not believe in departing from the
+time-honoured names of their forefathers. Piet suggests the immortal
+name of Piet Retief, and Paul--well, there is Oom Paul.
+
+Before the marriage ceremony can be performed in a Dutch Reformed
+Church, the minister must satisfy himself that the contracting parties
+have previously been confirmed. Great preparation for the confirmation
+is engaged in by the young people a week before Nachtmaal Sunday, on
+which day, in presence of the whole congregation, they are received
+into the bosom of the Church.
+
+The Boer is very conscientious in the matter of religion. For
+instance, should he be on bad terms with any of his friends or
+relations, he will not attend Divine Service. He argues that a man who
+is not at peace with his fellow-men cannot hope for reconciliation
+with his God until the difference has been amicably settled.
+
+It may be observed that the order of service in a Dutch Church is very
+similar to that in vogue in a country church in Scotland. The minutest
+details have much in common, but perhaps I had better not enlarge
+upon such a coincidence. Before each service the menfolk linger in
+front of the church door, with their hands stuck deep down in their
+pockets and the inevitable pipe between their teeth. They talk about
+almost everything except religion--the crops, their petty difficulties
+with Kaffirs, the last hailstorm and the havoc it worked, and so on.
+The Boers never enter into theological arguments. Each and all place
+implicit faith in the Scriptural teachings, and they take for granted
+everything from the beginning to the end of their Bibles. Consequently
+the teachings of Scripture are not very firmly impressed on their
+minds.
+
+When the organ begins to peal forth the voluntary, the worshippers
+troop into their seats. During the choral part of the service the
+congregation remain seated, and they rise when the minister prays. The
+elderly gentlemen very promptly go to sleep when the text is given
+out, and they lean back in their respective corners with the full
+assurance that they will not be disturbed for at least an hour.
+Occasionally they may be gently aroused by their wives or children,
+whose supply of sweets has been exhausted. By the way, every Boer in
+the country has one particular weakness, and that is a desire after
+sweets. The young men recklessly walk into a store whenever they come
+to town, and devote a portion of their capital to the purchase of
+'Dutch mottoes,' to which the ladies are very partial. The elderly men
+are not so particular in this respect.
+
+When the benediction is about to be pronounced, there is a general
+scramble after hats, and the last Amen has scarcely been uttered when
+there is a rush for the doors. It seems to amount to a sort of
+competition as to who will be first in the street.
+
+It may be interesting to pause for a moment and look at the
+collections. The poorer classes besiege the stores on Saturday with
+anxious inquiries for 'stickeys,' i.e., threepenny-pieces. To a poor
+man with a large family of church-goers this matter of church
+collections is a serious business unless he can get four mites out of
+a shilling, as coppers are not used in the Transvaal; but I have
+known men of good standing inquire as eagerly for the despised
+threepenny-piece. When special collections are called for, in aid of a
+new organ fund, for instance, the results are rather surprising. In
+one instance the combined special collections on a Nachtmaal Sunday
+amounted to a little over L500, with a congregation of only 400. This
+points to the fact that there is money enough in the country, and it
+only requires a church collection to prove it.
+
+It is to be regretted that the Boer does not devote a little more
+attention to the education of his children. If there happens to be a
+school anywhere near his farm, he does not mind taking advantage of
+this with a view to 'teaching the young idea how to shoot'; but
+perhaps he takes too literal a view of this adage. His chief care is
+to see that his boys are taught to shoot straight, and he does not
+attach so much importance as he might to the three R's. The Boer who
+can afford such luxuries engages a tutor for his children, but tutors
+are mostly of the English persuasion. They have not yet learned to
+appreciate the language of the country, and this constitutes a serious
+barrier. Again, one does not expect much of a country school, and the
+majority of the men who preside over these institutions in the Dutch
+Republics are there simply because they can obtain no more lucrative
+an occupation. A number of Free State farmers invariably 'trek' to
+Natal with their families and stock during the winter months, and this
+affords an opportunity for placing the children at more advanced
+schools; but then again the objection is serious--the masters are
+English.
+
+[Illustration: BLOEMFONTEIN.]
+
+In the town of Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, where the Volksraad
+thunders forth its mighty convictions, there is a model Young Ladies'
+College. It seems that one day recently the members of the Raad found
+themselves in want of debatable motions, and it fell to the lot of one
+of their number to save the situation. That member directed the
+attention of his brethren to a certain question affecting the proper
+conduct of the Young Ladies' College aforesaid. It had come to his
+knowledge that the Principal of the College had granted, to certain
+of the pupils who desired it, permission to pray to Almighty God in
+the English language. The member forcibly contended that this
+lamentable state of affairs should not exist, but that every pupil in
+the College should be compelled to pray to God in the language of the
+country! A general discussion followed, but it was ultimately allowed
+that this matter did not come within the jurisdiction of that Raad.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+
+Every town has its Landdrost, and every town has its Landdrost's
+clerk. Usually the clerk does all the work, and the Landdrost, in his
+capacity of chief magistrate, passes all the sentences and issues all
+the instructions. But, then, Landdrosts, as a rule, are very agreeable
+people, possibly because they are educated and intelligent men, and
+have nothing in common with the Boer.
+
+I have one particular Landdrost in my mind as I write. He was a dear
+old man, but he was dead against Kaffirs and natives generally. His
+father had been killed by Kaffirs, and this fact probably rankled in
+his bosom and ruled his judgments to a great extent. When he wanted to
+show a little bit of leniency, as, for instance, after an
+extraordinarily good breakfast, he would bind the culprit over to
+serve in his own kitchen for a period of one year without
+remuneration. But he never did get a native to serve the full time,
+because the native preferred to break the law once more and go to
+'tronk' instead. Hard work was not in his line.
+
+He is dead now, poor man! but he was a regular type of a Landdrost. He
+lived a very quiet life, and the brunt of the work fell to the lot of
+the ever-willing and conscientious clerk, which arrangement allowed
+the Landdrost sufficient leisure to attend to a somewhat large garden.
+There were fruit trees in that garden which in the fruit season
+incited every boy in town to deeds of valour, the said deeds
+consisting in being able to carry away as much fruit as possible
+without being caught in the act. For the Landdrost exercised a
+watchful eye over that fruit. It was currently reported, however, that
+his was the first garden to be literally left desolate before the
+season had far advanced, and it was usually his misfortune to be
+deprived of his fruit just after he had retired for the night, after
+having prowled about with an empty gun in his hand from sunset till
+late in the evening. It was even reported that one evening, after the
+old man had retired as usual, a certain person who had a strong
+predilection for other people's fruit approached the Landdrost's
+garden with a handcart and a lantern, and assisted himself freely
+before taking his departure.
+
+In conclusion, and as an illustration of the moral tendencies of young
+Boers generally, I shall now quote a little scene which was written
+some time ago for another purpose.
+
+In a mealie-field close to a certain farm, which shall be nameless, a
+curious scene was being witnessed by a very stout Dutch lady. She was
+standing at the edge of the field. Above her head myriads of locusts
+floated in a darkening mass. The mealie stalks were only a foot or so
+high, but the locusts knew that they were green, and therefore good to
+eat, so they hovered around. The mealies were in rows, and between
+these rows galloped half-a-dozen horses carrying half-a-dozen very raw
+natives. The latter were making such a hideous noise, that it seemed
+to point to remarkable staying powers on the part of the locusts,
+inasmuch as they still persisted in trying to gain a footing. But the
+Kaffirs cantered their steeds faster, and the noise waxed more
+hideous, and the fat vrouw continued to urge them to renewed and
+increased effort. Round the edges of the patch four or five Kaffir
+women walked, each at a different point, and each in possession of a
+five-gallon empty paraffin tin and a stick, with which to strengthen
+and augment the noisy defence. The locusts were reinforced every
+minute, and they made repeated and determined efforts to sample the
+young mealies, but the horsemen and the paraffin tins were too much
+for them.
+
+A small white boy was standing near the fat lady, watching the
+proceedings with a critical eye. His dress was very primitive, and his
+home-made veldschoens were very large, but he was a healthy-looking
+boy.
+
+'Ma,' he said at length, looking up into the fat lady's face, 'I see
+something.'
+
+This was rather a peculiar remark to make, because undoubtedly he must
+see something, not being blind.
+
+'Yes,' returned his 'ma,' without taking her eyes off the mealie
+patch, 'what do you see, son?'
+
+'I won't tell you, ma.'
+
+'Ma' paid no particular attention to this decision on the part of her
+small son, but he continued to look into his 'ma's' face as if
+uncertain about something.
+
+'Ma, I won't tell you what I see,' he continued, coming up closer to
+the stout lady and catching hold of her hand.
+
+'Why won't you tell me, son?' asked 'ma,' looking down affectionately
+upon the white head of her boy.
+
+'Not until you promise me something, ma.'
+
+'Well, what must I promise you?'
+
+The boy hesitated for a minute before replying. He had apparently
+grave doubts as to whether 'ma' would concede even if he did ask her.
+
+'Ma, I want to shoot Witbooi with my gun.'
+
+Witbooi was a Kaffir umfaan, who had no particular liking for his
+young Baas.
+
+'I can't promise you that until your pa comes home, Gert,' said his
+'ma,' patting him lovingly on the head, and at the same time lending
+her critical eye to the mealie business.
+
+The boy left his mother's side and walked away a few yards, evidently
+disgusted with unsympathetic 'mas.' Then, apparently changing his
+mind, he ran towards her again, and clung to her dress, meantime
+looking up in her face.
+
+'I'll tell you, ma--I'll tell you,' he said laughingly.
+
+'That's a good boy,' said 'ma,' again patting him on the head.
+
+'I see waggons coming; that's it!' exclaimed the boy, running away
+playfully, and observing with evident satisfaction the look of
+surprise on his mother's face, as if it atoned somewhat for the
+disappointment regarding the fate of Witbooi.
+
+
+Billing and Sons, Printers, Guildford
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOER IN PEACE AND WAR***
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