f his craft to pause in order to allow this touch
to have its full effect. It was long before he could continue, and then
with his right hand impressively laid upon the holy book before him, he
thundered forth a volley of passages therefrom, deftly applied so as to
work upon his audience, in such wise that many among it were by no means
sure that the President of the South African Republic was not actually
mentioned by name therein, while a few were quite certain he was. The
whole constituted a strange and instructive scene, for these enthusiasts
were, with the exception of the orator himself, all British subjects,
dwelling and prospering within a British colony, enjoying a responsible
government and equal rights and representation for all.

At length arose shouts for order and silence, and the speaker was able
to resume:

"Brothers, I have heard it said that ye are our brethren no more; that
we of the two Republics are of another nation, of a different blood;
that you on this side of the Groote Rivier have become English now--"

"_Nee, nee_!" burst from the audience, in roaring negative.

"--That you will not raise a rifle in the holy cause of your brethren, I
believe it not. Our watchword is not `Africa for the Transvaal,' or
`Africa for the Free State,' but `Africa for the Afrikanders'."

Again a shout of acclamation greeted the words.

"Brothers, I have been in England; I have seen her millions of people,
her splendour, and her enormous wealth. But I have seen more. I have
seen her weakness. I have seen her large cities, and their vice and
squalor. I have seen the frivolous luxury of her rich, and the hideous
misery and want and desperation of her poor; and I tell you that for all
her outward strength she is a weak nation, a rotten nation, with all her
best blood poisoned by disease, and her common blood turned to water by
foul air and hunger and drunkenness. And this is the nation which is
greedy for our land, is ravening to steal the gold which it contains."
Then, raising his powerful voice to thunder pitch: "Brothers, shall this
go on? Now, nay, it shall not, I tell you. All is in readiness. For
years _we_ have been in readiness, increasing our armed might, and now
we are ready to strike--to strike with a force and terror that shall
amaze the whole world. Be in readiness, too, brave burghers, patriots
all; and to deliver this message to you am I here to-night God does not
will that this rotten, f