he was wearing a sullen and dejected expression on his by no means stupid, but discontented and unprepossessing, face.  This scion of the Kruger family did not scruple to air his grievances or disclose his plans with regard to the struggle of the previous day.  That he was brilliantly assisted by the French and German freelances was as surely demonstrated as the fact of his having been left more or less in the lurch by his countrymen when they saw that to get into Mafeking was one thing, but to stay there or get out of it again was quite a different matter.  In a few words he told us, in fairly good English, how it had been posted up in the laager, “We leave for Mafeking to-night:  we will breakfast at Dixon’s Hotel to-morrow morning”; how he had sent back to instruct Reuter’s agent to cable the news that Mafeking had been taken as soon as the fort was in their hands; how he had left his camp with 400 volunteers, and how, when he had counted them by the light of the blazing stadt, only 240 remained; moreover, that the 500 additional men who were to push in when the fort was taken absolutely failed him.[34] He was also betrayed in that the arranged forward movement all round the town, which was to have taken place simultaneously with his attack, was never made.  The burghers instead contented themselves by merely firing senseless volleys from their trenches, which constituted all the assistance he actually received.  This, and much more, he told us with bitter emphasis, while the French officer conversed unconcernedly in the intervals of his discourse about the African climate, the weather, and the Paris Exhibition; finally observing with heart-felt emphasis that he wished himself back once more in “La Belle France,” which he had only left two short months ago.  The Dutchman, not understanding what he was saying, kept on the thread of his story, interrupting him without any compunction.  It was one of the most curious meals at which I have ever assisted.  That afternoon these officers were removed to safer quarters in gaol while a house was being prepared for their reception.

As after-events proved, Eloff’s attack was the

Boers’ last card, which they had played when they heard of the approaching relief column under Colonel Mahon,[35] and of his intention to join hands with Colonel Plumer, coming from the North.  After lunch, two days later, we saw clouds of dust to the south, and, from information to hand, we knew it must be our relievers.  The whole of Mafeking spent hours on the roofs of the houses.  In the meantime the Boers were very uneasy, with many horsemen coming and going, but the laagers were not being shifted.  In the late afternoon a desultory action commenced, which to us was desperately exciting.  We could see little but shells bursting and columns of dust.  One thing was certain:  the Boers were not running away, although the Colonel declared that our troops had gained possession of the position the Boers had