When however the President, with that resolute determination to be generous which was so well advertised, at last overcame all obstacles and succeeded in holding a meeting of his advisers to receive Mr. Gregorowski’s report, and when it was found that that gentleman assessed capital punishment at L25,000 per head, the Executive Council with one accord avowed themselves to be so utterly taken by surprise by the announcement that they required time to think the matter over and decide upon a course of action.

No doubt this opinion of Mr. Gregorowski’s took them quite as much by surprise as did his original sentences.  However in the course of a day or two they had recovered sufficiently to intimate to the prisoners that, if they would amend their first offer of L40,000 for the four and make it one of L40,000 apiece, the Executive would decline to accept so large a sum, as being greater than they considered equitable and would reply that in the opinion of the Government L25,000 apiece would be sufficient.  It was quite plainly intimated that this procedure presented certain attractions to the President, who desired for political purposes to exhibit further magnanimity.  The prisoners who by this time had gained some insight into Mr. Kruger’s methods, who knew from past experience the value of his promises, and who could find no record in history to encourage them in participating to this extent in the confidence trick, point-blank refused to have anything to do with it.

They agreed to make a formal offer of a ‘reasonable’ fine, leaving the interpretation of this to the Government, but only on the distinct understanding that the amount should not exceed L25,000 each.  They had learned that Mr. Gregorowski had fixed this amount and that the Executive had agreed to accept it, and they would not offer a penny more for magnanimity or anything else.  They stated in plain terms that they looked upon this matter simply as a bargain; that if they should get out they were paying their way out, and that in so far as their release from the position was concerned the transaction was closed upon business terms and there should be no question afterwards as to gratitude or magnanimity.  The fines were paid,{39} and on July 11 the leaders were released.

Messrs. Phillips, Farrar, and Hammond, who were compelled through their business ties to continue their association with the Transvaal, signed the same undertaking concerning politics as that given by the rest of the prisoners—­with the difference that in their case it operates for a period of fifteen years.  Colonel Rhodes however declined to give the required undertaking and elected to take his sentence of fifteen years’ banishment.  On the night of June 11 therefore he was sent across the border under escort, and passing through the Free State proceeded at once to Matabeleland to render what assistance he could to his brother in the suppression of the rebellion.  As though the excitement of the past few months had not been sufficient, it may be added that in the first engagement in which he took part on his arrival at Buluwayo his horse was shot, and he narrowly escaped the same fate himself.