system of
inventing successes was carried on by the French press right up to, and
even after, the Emperor's capitulation at Sedan. So it was comforting to
think that, if it had been necessary to keep up the spirits of paid and
regular soldiers, it must be a thousand times more essential for the
Transvaal authorities to do so, as regards their unpaid mixed army, who
had no encouragement to fight but knowledge of successes and hopes of
future loot. All the same, it was a great trial of patience.

FOOTNOTES:

[31] This news must have been a garbled account of the fighting with
Lord Methuen's column.

CHAPTER IX

HOW I WAS MADE A PRISONER--IN A BOER LAAGER

"Ah, there, Piet! be'ind 'is stony kop,
With 'is Boer bread an' biltong, an' 'is flask of awful dop;
'Is mauser for amusement an' 'is pony for retreat,
I've known a lot o' fellers shoot a dam' sight worse than
Piet."--KIPLING.

Provisions at Setlagoli and in the surrounding districts were now fast
running out, and Mrs. Fraser announced to me one morning she had only
full allowance of meal for another week. In that colony no meal meant no
bread, and it was, in fact, the most important factor in the housewife's
mind when thinking of supplies. While on this subject, I must remark
what very excellent bread is that made by the Dutch; no matter how poor
or dilapidated the farmhouses, large loaves of beautiful, slightly
browned bread are always in evidence, baked by the mother or daughters.
The non-existence of the railway was beginning to cause much distress,
Dutch and English suffering alike. In fact, if it had not been for the
locusts, unusually numerous that year, and always a favourite food with
the natives, these latter would also have been starving. As every mouth
to feed was a consideration, I determined to see if I could personally
induce the Boer General to pass me into Mafeking. Under Mrs. Fraser's
charge I left my maid, as I did not wish to expose her to any hardships
in the laager; and to her I gave the custody of my pony Dop, to whom I
had become much attached. After detaining me a prisoner, the Boers
returned to Setlagoli specially to secure this animal; they had heard
the natives speak of her in terms of high appreciation, and describe her
as "not a horse, but lightning." Metelka, with much spirit, declared the
pony to be her property, having been given her, she said, in lieu of
wages. She further stated she was a G