One more incident—­trifling perhaps in itself but leaving an ineffaceable impression—­occurred during the march to the gaol.  As the prisoners slowly approached the Government buildings, Dr. Leyds accompanied by one friend walked out until within a few yards of the procession of sentenced men (a great proportion of whom were personally well known to him) and stood there with his hands in his pockets smiling at them as they went past.  The action was so remarkable, the expression on the State Secretary’s face so unmistakable, that the Dutch guards accompanying the prisoners expressed their disgust.  His triumph no doubt was considerable; but the enjoyment must have been short-lived if the accounts given by other members of the Executive of his behaviour a month later are to be credited.  The man who stood in safety and smiled in the faces of his victims was the same Dr. Leyds who within a month became seriously ill because some fiery and impetuous friend of the prisoners sent him an anonymous letter with a death’s head and cross-bones; who as a result obtained from Government a guard over his private house; and who thereafter proceeded about his duties in Pretoria under armed escort.

It is stated that the death sentence was commuted the same afternoon, but no intimation of this was given to the prisoners and no public announcement was made until twenty-four hours later.  In spite of the vindictive urgings of the Hollander newspaper, the Volksstem, few could believe that the death sentence would be carried out and most people recognized that the ebullitions of that organ expressed the feelings of only a few rabid and witless individuals among the Hollanders themselves and were viewed with disgust by the great majority of them.  At the same time the scene in court had been such as to show that the Government party—­the officials and Boers then present—­had not regarded the death sentence as a mere formality, but had, on the contrary, viewed it as a deliberate and final judgment.  In such circumstances therefore it can be believed that the prisoners themselves were not without misgivings.

Footnotes for Chapter VIII

{33} Died in prison.

{34} Unable, owing to illness, to stand trial with the others.  On recovery, Mr. Curtis returned to the Transvaal, and decided to plead ‘not guilty,’ whereupon proceedings were dropped.

CHAPTER IX.

LIFE IN GAOL.

In the Transvaal no distinction is made between ordinary criminals and those who in other countries are recognized as first-class misdemeanants.  Consequently the Reformers, without regard to the nature of their offence, their habits, health, age, or condition, were handed over to the gaoler, Du Plessis, a relative of President Kruger, to be dealt with at his kind discretion.  For two days the prisoners existed on the ordinary