the days of my life-第23章

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ny　other　Boer　officials　had　received　appointments。　Thereon　Osborn　answered　with　great　rigour；　“Damn　it！　Mr。　A。　—　you　know　why。”
The　man　attempted　no　answer；　and　a　moment　later　I　saw　him　walk　out　of　the　house　with　a　very　crestfallen　air；　after　which　I　think　Osborn　came　into　my　room　and　expressed　his　feelings　on　the　whole　subject　with　the　utmost　freedom。
That　is　the　story；　of　which　the　reader；　if　there　ever　should　be　such　a　person；　can　form　his　own　opinion。　Of　course　it　rests　upon　Deventer’s　word　supported　only　by　certain　corroborative　evidence　of　a　circumstantial　sort；　such　as　the　sudden　departure　of　the　Boer　mission；　leaving　us　alone　in　Secocoeni’s　Town　without　guides；　the　behaviour　of　the　two　Basuto　lads；　and　of　the　individual　inculpated　on　the　occasion　that　I　have　just　mentioned。　Deventer　may　have　lied；　but　I　see　no　reason　why　he　should　have　done　so；　and　it　was　not　in　keeping　with　his　character；　nor　did　any　of　us　at　the　time　find　cause　to　doubt　the　truth　of　his　statement。　On　the　other　hand　our　disappearance　from　this　mortal　sphere　might　have　been　convenient　to　Mr。　A。；　who　knew　that　when　we　saw　Secocoeni　we　should　discover　that　the　alleged　treaty　with　that　chief　which　he　had　negotiated　had　been　forged　as　regards　its　most　important　clause。　If　we　were　all　dead　we　could　not　municate　our　knowledge　to　the　Special　missioner；　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone；　and　through　him　to　the　British　Government；　in　which　event　his　credit　would　have　been　saved　and　the　South　African　Republic；　which　he　served；　would　have　been　freed　from　a　great　embarrassment。　It　is　not　probable　that　any　more　will　ever　be　known　of　this　matter；　which；　so　to　speak；　now　rests　between　Mr。　A。　—　whose　name　I　refrain　from　mentioning　—　and　God。　Of　the　Englishmen　concerned　I　alone　survive；　and　if　any　of　the　others　still　live　they　must　be　very　old　men。
At　Fort　Weber　I　think　we　separated　from　the　Boer　mission；　also　that　Clarke　left　us　to　attend　to　business　elsewhere。　Osborn　and　I　trekked　day　and　night　in　an　ox…waggon　to　Middelburg　—　trekked　till　the　oxen　fell　down　in　the　yokes。　It　was　a　fearful　and　a　sleepless　journey。　At　some　period　in　it　we　were　left　quite　without　food。　Only　a　single　pot　of　jam　remained。　We　opened　the　tin　and　helped　ourselves　to　the　jam　with　our　knives；　sitting　one　on　either　side　of　it　in　the　vasty　veld；　till　we　could　eat　no　more　of　the　sickly　stuff；　hungry　though　we　were。
While　we　were　thus　engaged　an　eagle　sailed　over　us　with　a　koran　or　small　bustard　in　its　claws。　I　shouted　and　it　dropped　the　koran；　which；　thinking　that　it　would　serve　for　supper；　I　secured　and　tied　to　my　saddle；　unfortunately　by　its　head；　not　by　its　feet。　We　rode　on　and　I　noticed　that　the　eagle　and　its　mate　followed　us。　In　the　end　the　jerking　of　the　horse　separated　the　koran’s　head　from　its　body；　so　that　the　bird　fell　to　the　ground。　In　a　moment　the　eagle　had　it　again　and　sailed　away　in　triumph。
By　the　way；　I　still　possess　that　knife　with　which　I　ate　the　jam。　It　was　given　to　me　by　my　brother　Andrew　when　I　was　about　twelve　and；　except　for　a　month　or　two　when　it　was　lost　upon　the　veld；　from　that　day　to　this　it　has　been　in　my　pocket。　It　is　wonderful　that　an　article　in　daily　use　should　have　lasted　so　long；　but　I　hope　that　it　may　remain　to　the　end　of　the　chapter。
Chapter　5　THE　ANNEXATION
Doubtful　attitude　of　Boers　towards　Mission　—　H。　R。　H。　attends　debates　in　Volksraad　—　Paul　Kruger　—　H。　R。　H。‘s　projected　journey　home　—　Which　was　given　up　—　Transvaal　annexed　—　H。　R。　H。　delivers　copies　of　Proclamation　and　hoists　British　flag　with　Colonel　Brooke。
Life　at　Pretoria　was　very　gay　during　this　Annexation　period。　We　gave　a　ball；　followed　on　the　next　evening　by　a　children’s　party；　the　President　entertained　us　to　lunch。　The　English　in　the　town　gave　us　a　great　dinner　in　the　Volksraad　Zaal　at　which　“God　save　the　Queen”　was　sung　with　enthusiasm；　and　there　were　many　other　entertainments。
But　underneath　all　these　festivities　grave　issues　were　maturing。　Shortly　after　our　arrival　four　hundred　and　fifty　Boers　rode　into　the　town　with　the　object　of　putting　us　back　over　the　border。　They　were　unarmed；　but　we　discovered　that　they　had　left　their　rifles　hidden　in　waggons　not　far　away　and　guarded　by　a　hundred　and　fifty　men。　If　they　really　had　any　such　intention；　however；　it　evaporated　after　they　had　proceeded　to　the　Government　offices　to　ask　what　the　English　were　doing　in　Pretoria　and　hoisted　their　flag　in　the　Market　Square。　Then　they　talked　a　while　and　went　away。　One　man；　I　remember；　either　on　this　or　another　occasion　came　and　stood　before　the　English　flag　which　marked　our　camp；　and　shouted；　“O　Father；　O　Grandfather；　O　Great…grandfather；　rise　from　the　dead　and　drive　away　those　red…handed　wretches　who　have　e　to　take　our　land　from　us；　the　land　which　we　took　from　the　Swartzels　（black　creatures）！”
Then　he　made　a　somewhat　feeble　rush　for　the　said　flag；　but　was　collared　by　his　friends　and　taken　off；　still　apostrophising　his　ancestors。　It　all　sounds　very　mock…heroic　and　absurd；　and　yet　I　repeat　that　there　was　much　to　justify　this　attitude　of　the　Boers。　After　all　they　had　taken　the　land　and　lived　there　nearly　forty　years；　and　the　British　Government　had　more　or　less　guaranteed　their　independence。　Of　course　circumstances　alter　cases；　and；　as　they　could　not　govern　themselves　and　were　about　to　plunge　South　Africa　into　a　bloody　war；　our　intervention　was　necessary；　but　this　the　more　ignorant　of　them　could　scarcely　be　expected　to　understand；　at　any　rate　at　first。
Many　threats　were　uttered　against　us。　Says　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone　in　one　of　his　despatches　of　that　day　to　Lord　Carnarvon：　“Every　effort　had　been　made　during　the　previous　fortnight　by；　it　is　said；　educated　Hollanders　who　had　but　lately　arrived　in　the　country；　to　rouse　the　fanaticism　of　the　Boers　and　to　induce　them　to　offer　‘bloody’　resistance　to　what　it　was　known　I　intended　to　do。　The　Boers　were　appealed　to　in　the　most　inflammatory　language　by　printed　manifestos　and　memorials　。　。　。　it　was　urged　that　I　had　but　a　small　escort　which　could　easily　be　overpowered。”
Indeed　there　is　no　doubt　that　at　times　during　these　months　we　went　in　considerable　risk。　I　will　not　set　down　all　the　stories　that　came　to　our　ears；　of　how　we　were　to　be　waylaid　and　shot　on　this　occasion　or　on　that；　but　an　incident　that　I　remember　shows　me　that　Shepstone　at　any　rate　thought　there　was　something　in　them。　One　night　I　and　another　member　of　the　staff　—　I　think　it　was　Mor　—　were　at　work　late；　copying　despatches　in　a　room　of　the　building　which　afterwards　became　Government　House。　This　room　had　large　windows　opening　on　to　a　verandah；　and　over　these　we　had　not　drawn　the　curtains。　Sir　Theophilus　came　in　and　scolded　us；　saying　that　we　ought　to　remember　that　we　made　a　very　easy　target　against　that　lighted　background。　Then　he　drew　the　curtains　with　his　own　hand。
The　Volksraad　met　and　discussed　all　kinds　of　matters；　but　nothing　came　of　their　labours；　except　the　appointment　of　a　mission　to　examine　into　the　state　of　the　country　and　confer　with　H。M。‘s　Special　missioner。　I　attended　some　of　their　debates　and　remember　the　scene　well。　They　were　held　in　a　long；　low　room　down　the　centre　of　which　stood　a　deal　table。　Round　this　table　sat　some　thirty　members；　most　of　them　Boers。　At　the　head　of　the　room　sat　the　Chairman　at　a　little　raised　desk；　by　the　side　of　which　stood　a　chair　for　the　use　of　the　President　of　the　State　when　he　visited　the　Volksraad。　Among　the　members　was　Paul　Kruger；　then　a　middle…aged　man　with　a　stern；　thick　face　and　a　squat　figure。　At　one　of　these　sittings　I　obtained　his　autograph；　a　curious　piece　of　calligraphy　which　I　am　sorry　to　say　I　have　lost。　We　saw　a　good　deal　of　“Oom　Paul”　in　those　days；　for　on　several　occasions　he　visited　the　Special　missioner。　Generally　I　showed　him　in　and　out；　and　I　recollect　that　the　man　impressed　me　more　than　did　any　of　the　other　Boers。
In　after　days　I　knew　that　Volksraad　Zaal　well　enough；　for　when　I　became　Master　and　Registrar　of　the　High　Court　I　used　to　sit　in　it　just　beneath　the　judge。
Doubtless　I　wrote　a　good　many　letters　home　at　this　time；　but　I　imagine　that　they　were　destroyed　either　on　receipt　or　perhaps　after　my　mother’s　death。　Four　or　five　of　them；　however；　my　father　preserved；　apparently　because　they　refer　to　money　matters。　A　little　while　ago