[30] This gentleman on a later occasion again attempted to leave Mafeking on horseback, and was taken prisoner by the Boers and sent to Pretoria, leaving the Daily Mail without a correspondent in Mafeking.  At the request of that paper I then undertook to send them cables about the siege.

CHAPTER VIII

     BETRAYED BY A PIGEON—­THE BOERS COME AT LAST

     “For a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which
     has wings shall tell the matter.”—­ECCLES. x. 20.

The day after my arrival at Setlagoli some natives came in with apparently well-authenticated news of an English victory near Vryburg.  They also asserted that the line was already being relaid to Maribogo, and that the railway servants had returned to that station.  I drove over at once to prove the truth of their statements; of course, I found they were all false, except the fact of the station-master having returned to the barricaded and desolate station.  I discovered him sitting disconsolately at the door of his ruined house, gloomily perusing “Nicholas Nickleby.”  On returning home, I was delighted to find interesting letters from Mr. and Mrs. Rochfort Maguire, who were shut up in Kimberley, as was also Mr. Rhodes.  The latter had despatched them by a boy, ordered to continue his journey to Mafeking with other missives and also with some colonial newspapers.  These latter, only about a fortnight old, we fairly spelled through before sending them on.  They were already so mutilated by constant unfolding that in parts they were scarcely decipherable, but none the less very precious.  Two days later arrived a representative of Reuter’s Agency, whom I shall call Mr. P. He had come by rail and horseback straight from Cape Town and he was also under orders to proceed to Mafeking; but his horses were so done up that he decided to give them a few days’ rest.  I took advantage of his escort to carry out a long-cherished desire to see the wreck of the armoured train at Kraipann.  Accompanied by a boy to show us the way, we started after an early lunch.  As it was a Sunday, there was not much fear of our meeting any Boers, as the latter were always engaged that day in psalm-singing and devotions.  We cantered gaily along, passing many Kaffir huts, outside of which were grouped wondering natives, in their Sunday best.  These kept up a lively conversation with our guide as long as we remained within earshot.  I was always impressed with the freemasonry that existed in that country among the blacks.  Everywhere they found acquaintances, and very often relations.  They used to tell me that such and such a man was their wife’s cousin or their aunt’s brother.  Moreover, as long as you were accompanied by a native, you were always sure of certain information concerning the whereabouts of the Boers; but to these latter they would lie with stupid, solemn faces.  When we neared Kraipann, we came to a region of rocks and kopjes, truly a God-forsaken