‘Will you have some cigarettes?’ he said, holding me out a packet.  I took one, and we began to talk.  ‘Is there going to be much more war?’ he inquired anxiously.

‘Yes, very much more; we have scarcely begun,’ He looked quite miserable.

I said, ‘You have not been at the front yet?’

‘No, I am only just commandeered.’

‘How old are you?’

‘Sixteen.’

‘That’s very young to go and fight.’

He shook his head sadly.

‘What’s your name?’

‘Cameron.’

‘That’s not a Dutch name?’

‘No, I’m not a Dutchman.  My father came from Scotland.’

‘Then why do you go and fight against the British?’

’How can I help it?  I live here.  You must go when you’re commandeered.  They wouldn’t let me off.  Mother tried her best.  But it’s “come out and fight or leave the country” here, and we’ve got nothing but the farm.’

‘The Government would have paid you compensation afterwards.’

’Ah! that’s what they told father last time.  He was loyal, and helped to defend the Pretoria laager.  He lost everything, and he had to begin all over again.’

‘So now you fight against your country?’

‘I can’t help it,’ he repeated sullenly, ’you must go when you’re commandeered.’  And then he climbed down off the footboard, and I did not see him again—­one piteous item of Gladstone’s legacy—­the ruined and abandoned loyalist in the second generation.

Before the train left Volksrust we changed our guards.  The honest burghers who had captured us had to return to the front, and we were to be handed over to the police.  The leader of the escort—­a dear old gentleman—­I am ignorant of his official rank—­approached and explained through Spaarwater that it was he who had placed the stone and so caused our misfortunes.  He said he hoped we bore no malice.  We replied by no means, and that we would do the same for him with pleasure any day.  Frankland asked him what rewards he would get for such distinguished service.  In truth he might easily have been shot, had we turned the corner a minute earlier.  The subaltern apparently contemplated some Republican V.C. or D.S.O.  But the farmer was much puzzled by his question.  After some explaining we learnt that he had been given fourteen days’ furlough to go home to his farm and see his wife.  His evident joy and delight were touching.  I said ’Surely this is a very critical time to leave the front.  You may miss an important battle.’

‘Yes,’ he replied simply, ‘I hope so.’  Then we said ‘good-bye,’ and I gave him, and also Spaarwater, a little slip of paper setting forth that they had shown kindness and courtesy to British prisoners of war, and personally requesting anyone into whose hands the papers might come to treat them well, should they themselves be taken by the Imperial forces.

We were then handed to a rather dilapidated policeman of a gendarme type, who spat copiously on the floor of the carriage and informed us that we should be shot if we attempted to escape.  Having no desire to speak to this fellow, we let down the sleeping shelves of the compartment and, as the train steamed out of Volksrust, turned to sleep.