all their doings from behind the green Venetian blinds, kept down on account of the heat.  Up to this time none of them had come up to the house, for which we had reason to be grateful, as the “dop” they had found, and quickly finished, was beginning to affect their demeanour and spirits, particularly of the one named Dietrich, who appeared to be the boss of the party.  At last the immediate reason for their visit filtered out.  This slightly intoxicated gentleman inquired of Mr. Fraser where they could find a man named Mr. P. and the English lady of whom he had written.  The old gentleman, who could be more than common deaf when he chose, affected utter vacancy at the mention of these individuals, merely stating that he knew a man of the name of P. fifteen years ago.  Then the whole story was told.  They had captured our pigeon, with its tell-tale note.  This confiding bird had flown straight to the laager, had perched on the General’s house, where it had been shot by this same Dietrich, and we owed the present visit to the information supplied therein by Mr. P., Dietrich informing us he attributed this occurrence to the Almighty working for the Boers.  They stated they were now awaiting the arrival of the Veldtcornet and of Mr. Lamb, a neighbouring farmer, whom they had sent for, and they proceeded to make their preparations to spend the night.  After supper we were relieved to hear Mr. Lamb’s cheerful voice, as he rode up in the dark with the jovial Dietrich, who had ridden out to meet him, and who, it appeared, was an old friend of his.  I must say the pleasure of meeting was more on the Dutchman’s side than on the Englishman’s.  By this time the former was quite intoxicated, and Mr. Lamb cleverly managed to get him to his room, and after having, as he thought, disposed of him, he came and joined us on the stoep.  There we freely discussed our visitors, and were having a cheery conversation, when I suddenly looked up, and round the corner of the verandah saw the unsteady form of a typical Boer—­slouch hat, bandolier, and rifle, complete—­staggering towards us, truly a weird apparition.  The rising moon shining on the rifle-barrel made it glitter like silver.  I confess I disappeared round the corner to my room with more haste than dignity.  To Boers by daytime, when sober, I had by now become accustomed, but at night, after liberal doses of “dop,” armed with a loaded rifle, I preferred their room to their company.  Luckily, Mr. Lamb was equal to the occasion, and persuaded Dietrich to return to his quarters, in spite of his assurance that he (Dietrich) “was the man who watched, and who did not sleep.”  With the morning arrived nine or ten more, including the newly-appointed Veldtcornet, by name De Koker, who had been lately convicted of sheep-stealing.  After a long idle morning and more refreshments, they all adjourned to the living-room, where, with much difficulty, one of them stumbled through the reading of a printed proclamation, which