Some of them however yielded to the representations of their friends, who considered that it should be done for the sake of the men who were not yet released; whilst there were others who expressed the view that they would rather go back and do their imprisonment than suffer the humiliation which it was proposed to inflict; that they would not do it for themselves, and they could not bring themselves to do it for anybody else.  A considerable number of the prisoners called upon His Honour; and this was the ‘dog’ interview.  After hearing the address of the men the President proceeded to pat himself and his people on the back, saying that he knew he had behaved with great magnanimity and moderation, and that he hoped that such generosity would not be entirely thrown away.

‘You must know,’ he said, ’that I sometimes have to punish my dogs; and I find that there are dogs of two kinds.  Some of them who are good come back and lick my boots.  Others get away at a distance and snarl at me.  I see that some are still snarling.  I am glad that you are not like them.’

Those among his hearers who could understand His Honour’s remarks, although they had been prepared for much, were certainly not prepared for this.  The interpreter stood for a moment without rendering into English the metaphor chosen by the worthy President, and even His Honour—­slow to perceive where he has transgressed the limits of etiquette and good breeding—­gathered from the expressions upon the faces that something was wrong, and turning to the interpreter, said: 

‘Oh, that’s only my joke!  Don’t interpret that to them.’

But those who witnessed it say that there was no joke in his voice or his eye as he said it.  Proceeding then with more circumspection he walked out his dog in another form, and said that it was very well to punish the little dogs as he had punished them, but somebody should also punish the big dog—­evidently referring to Mr. Rhodes—­and in the course of a homily he again mixed his parable, sticking all the time to his dog however, remarking in conclusion that it was very well to punish the dogs, but what was to happen to the owner of the dogs, who stood by urging them on and crying ‘Tsaa!’?

Throughout the week His Honour continued to make the homely dog work to good purpose, but the interview with the released Reformers was, it is believed, the first occasion upon which he made use of it.  Certainly on no other occasion did the President do such ample justice to his reputation as a finished diplomat.

In the mean time negotiations had been proceeding for obtaining the release of the leaders.  The friends and representatives of the four prisoners had become subject to all manner of attentions from numbers of people in Pretoria; near relations of the President himself, high-placed Government officials, their relatives, hangers-on, prominent Boers, and persons of all sorts and descriptions, all offered