Another letter in the afternoon; from the Boer General to Colonel Kekewich.  It concerned the Dutch again.  The Colonel—­patient man—­intimated in reply that the families in question had already twice refused to leave him, and that he could not force nor drive them.  The Boers, we gathered from their envoy, were sick with typhoid fever, sick with dysentry, sick of the war altogether—­so sick, indeed, that part of our visitor’s mission was to borrow medicines and a doctor.  That we should have proven so obstinate in our resistance had not been anticipated.  Well, the Colonel could not refuse the medicines; he sympathised with the sufferers; but in view of the fact that the borrowers had already commandeered a doctor, he could not see his way to lend another.

We had set the ball rolling with such success in the morning that it was determined to give it the last kick in the evening as well.  To make certain of this, a gun was charged and “sighted” while there was yet light; and at nine o’clock a shell was sent hurtling through the shades of night.  Its effect, of course, was not observable; but if it were to startle the enemy as much as the gun’s boom did the whole of us, C. J. R. and his unseasonable “compliments” must have fallen foul of some “remarks.”

Next morning the gift was not at all gracefully acknowledged.  The unfortunate brickfields were pelted again; it was enigmatical; that Mr. Rhodes should be reckoned “a brick,” by Boers, was improbable; rumour had it that his blood was hungered for.  Some shells were hurled also at the grand stand of the race-course.  Finally, the enemy appeared to suspect that the cattle might have had a hand in the despatch of the nine o’clock missile, and he bombarded Kenilworth with great gusto.

The houses of a number of our citizens were built immediately outside the city boundary; and a strong feeling existed not only against permitting these dwellings to be occupied, but also against allowing some of their occupiers (who were Dutch) to remain outside the gaol.  A section of these people made no secret of their sympathy with their kindred across the Vaal, nor of their belief that the war was being waged on false issues.  They were thus tempted to lend the Boers a little practical assistance.  Nor were they long in finding ways and means to negotiate the loan; they arranged a code of signals which enabled them to communicate with their friends.  They had precious little of importance to tell—­unless the siege value of eggs could be so classed.  Anyhow they were caught signalling one night, and on the following morning were arraigned before the Summary Court.

This was the popular version of the story.  How far it was true, I am not in a position to say; but the charge was not sustained by the evidence.  The prisoners were acquitted, and ordered to find accommodation within the city.  The Court took advantage of the occasion to throw out a general hint about the inadvisability of permitting anybody to reside near the borders of a beleagured town.