The Boers are in their way a very religious people.  But they are also essentially practical; and it is difficult to find an instance in which the religious principle has operated to their commercial disadvantage.  This at any rate was not one.  The train of reasoning which led them to justify the imposition of a fine was somewhat in this wise:  To impose a fine would be to take blood-money, and would be immoral and iniquitous:  to accept the offer of a present on condition that the sentence should be entirely remitted however would be quite another thing.

So negotiations were set on foot to induce the prisoners to make the necessary offer; and the prisoners, as has been shown, did so.  This satisfied the religious scruple of the Boer, but the terms of the offer were not satisfactory to his commercial requirements.  It became necessary to make a definite offer.  Further negotiations followed, and the prisoners gathered that an offer of L10,000 apiece would be viewed with favour by the President and his advisers; and it was stated by members of the Volksraad and prominent officials who were in the confidence of and in communication with the Government that, in the event of such a contingency arising as the prisoners making an offer of cash, the Executive would not take the money for the benefit of the State but would accept it for charitable purposes—­an educational institute or a hospital or some such object.

This was communicated to the prisoners by the personages referred to, and an offer was accordingly made of L10,000 apiece.  The matter was discussed in the Executive Council, and the Boer, true to his instinct and record, perceived an opportunity to improve his position.  The religious gentlemen who would not take blood-money now objected that the amount proposed was altogether too small, and the President with that readiness so characteristic of him observed that he thought the prisoners must have made a mistake, and meant L40,000 apiece instead of L40,000 for the lot.

Another delay ensued, and in the meanwhile more and more deputies flocked to Pretoria, and stronger grew the feeling, and more angry, disappointed, and disgusted grew the communities of Johannesburg and Pretoria.  The President, however, played his game unmoved by any such considerations.

The next announcement from the Executive was a wholly unexpected one.  It was that they felt it necessary to consult Judge Gregorowski as to the amount of money which ought to be taken as a donation to charities.  The matter of assessing the value of a death-sentence in cash might perhaps be deemed a perplexing and a difficult one from lack of precedent, yet nobody supposed the Executive Council to be unequal to the task.  It might also seem unfair to impose this further burden of responsibility upon a judge; but Mr. Gregorowski had proved himself superior to precedent and untrammelled by custom; and there was much to be said in favour of continuing an association which had worked very satisfactorily so far.