It was, however, felt unsafe to allow the women and children to remain longer in the town, and by the kindness of the De Beers Company they were lowered into the mines, and there for a full week they lived.  Among the rest the families of the Baptist and Wesleyan ministers were lowered there.  It happened that these two reverend gentlemen met in the street shortly after the descent of their families, and on parting the Baptist said to the Methodist—­all unconscious of the suggestiveness of his statement—­’Good-bye, my friend; we shall soon meet again either above or below!’

It was no laughing matter, however, to the thousands of women and children living day and night in the mine tunnels some eight or twelve thousand feet below the surface.  Theirs was a pitiable condition, and how much longer they could have held out had not help come it is difficult to say.

All this time the Kimberley searchlight was night by night searching the neighbourhood lest any Boers under cover of the darkness should approach the town; and for most of the time, by heliograph or searchlight, the authorities were in communication with Lord Methuen on the other side of those forbidding kopjes.  And yet help came not, and the situation was becoming desperate.

=Various Forms of Christian Work during the Siege.=

In the first place refugee relief work was attempted and successfully carried out.  Large numbers had fled for refuge to Kimberley when war was declared, and many of these were penniless.  A fund of some L3,000 was raised, and a committee composed of all the ministers of the town carried out the work of relief.  Throughout the siege all the ordinary services with one or two exceptions were maintained, and though the men for the most part were on duty, yet the congregations were remarkably good and the men were present whenever they could get away.

The Wesleyan Church has eight churches in Kimberley.  As soon as the military camps were formed, the Rev. James Scott organized services for the troops.  The Rev. W.H.  Richards, the Presbyterian minister, gladly joined in the work, and united Presbyterian and Wesleyan services were held.

The hospital work was effectively done, and Miss Gordon (the matron) with her staff of nurses cheered and soothed the last moments of many a poor dying lad.

=The Relief of Kimberley.=

But the time of relief was drawing near.  Lord Roberts had appeared upon the scene, and his great flank movement was being carried out.  General French, at the head of his cavalry division, was making one of the most famous marches in history.  The days of inaction were over.  Cronje and his forces were saying a hasty good-bye to the hills at Magersfontein, which had so long defied Lord Methuen and his troops, and were flying for their lives.