“R.  BADEN-POWELL.”

I then learnt from another letter that Mrs. Delpoort, who had originally expressed the wish to leave Mafeking, where she was residing with many other friends in the women’s laager, had changed her mind, or her relatives did not encourage her to leave the shelter of the town; for the Staff had experienced some difficulty in persuading her to agree to the exchange, even if General Snyman allowed the same.  I asked if an answer had been returned to the Colonel’s letter, and Mr. Brink replied in the negative.  Very indignant, I said that I did not mean to be kept in my present wretched quarters indefinitely, and that, if no exchange could be effected, I would request a pass to return to Setlagoli, and risk the scarcity of food.  He looked rather confused, and said somewhat timidly that no doubt the General would allow me to go to Pretoria, where I should find “pleasant ladies’ society.”  Seeing my look of angry surprise, he hastily added that he only wished he had a house of his own to place at my disposal.  I saw it was no use venting my annoyance on this young man, who was civility itself, so I merely remarked I had no intention of visiting their capital, and that the present was certainly not a time for an English lady to travel alone in the Transvaal.  To this he gushingly agreed, but added that, of course, the General would give me a proper escort.  These words were quite enough to denote which way the wind was blowing.  I would not for an instant admit they had a right to detain me or to send me to any place against my will, having come there voluntarily, merely to ask the General a favour.  I was therefore conveniently blind and deaf, and, begging my amiable young friend to submit Colonel Baden-Powell’s suggestion to the Kriegsraad on the following morning, and to apprise me of the result, I wished him good-night, and went to bed once more on the wretched sofa, in anything but a hopeful frame of mind.  However, as is so often the case, my spirits revived in the morning, and, on considering the situation, I could not see what object the Transvaal authorities could have in detaining me a prisoner.  I was certainly very much in the way of the hospital arrangements, and I fully made up my mind to refuse absolutely to go to Pretoria, unless they took me by force.  I also determined to leave them no peace at the headquarters till they gave me a definite reply.  The day dragged on; the flies simply swarmed in my poky little room.  Never have I seen anything like the plague of these insects, but the nurses assured me that at the laager itself they were far worse, attracted, doubtless, by the cattle, horses, and food-stuffs.  At length I received a letter in an enormous official envelope, saying General Snyman had wired to Pretoria about me, and expected an answer every minute, which reply should be immediately communicated to me.  By my own free will I had put myself completely in their power.  This did not prevent me, however,