ut of the
question, but it may be imagined that we left next morning at the very
earliest hour possible.

This very district round Eland's River was later the scene of much
fighting, and it was there a few months afterwards that De la Rey
surrounded an English force, who were only rescued in the nick of time
by the arrival of Lord Kitchener. At the date of our visit, however, all
was peaceful, and, but for a few burghers riding in haste to surrender
their arms, not a trace of the enemy was to be seen.

The next day we reached Rustenburg, where we stayed the night, and
learnt that General Baden-Powell and his Staff had left there for
Pretoria, to confer with Lord Roberts. Our gallant grey horses were
standing the strain well, and the worst roads as well as the most
mountainous country were then behind us; so, without delay, we continued
on the morrow, spending the third night at a storekeeper's house at
Sterkstrom. Towards the evening of the fourth day after leaving Zeerust,
we entered a long wide valley, and by degrees overtook vehicles of many
lands, wearied pedestrians, and horsemen--in fact, the inevitable
stragglers denoting the vicinity of a vast army. The valley was enclosed
by moderately high hills, and from their summits we watched helio
messages passing to and fro during all that beautiful afternoon, while
we slowly accomplished the last, but seemingly endless, miles of our
tedious drive. At 5 p.m. we crawled into the suburbs of the Boer
capital, having driven 135 miles with the same horses. The description
of Pretoria under British occupation, and the friends we met there, I
must leave to another chapter.

CHAPTER XV

PRETORIA AND JOHANNESBURG UNDER LORD ROBERTS AND MILITARY LAW

"With malice to none ... with firmness in the right, as
God gives us to see the right, let us finish the work we are
in."--ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

At Pretoria Mrs. Godley and I found accommodation, not without some
difficulty, at the Grand Hotel. Turned for the moment into a sort of
huge barrack, this was crowded to its utmost capacity. The polite
manager, in his endeavour to find us suitable rooms, conducted us all
over the spacious building, and at last, struck by a bright thought,
threw open the door of an apartment which he said would be free in a few
hours, as the gentleman occupying it was packing up his belongings
preparatory to his departure. Great was my surprise at discovering in
the khaki-clad