ood petitions would be entertained.

This news was first taken into the jail by two wives who had outrun
the messenger. My husband says that when he saw Mrs. X. throw herself
weeping and speechless into her husband's arms, he thought 'it was all
up with him.'

X. wasn't half the offender he was, and the sentence was evidently
something too dreadful to tell. Mr. X. was one of the three months'
men, I believe.

These sentences, although unpopular, relieved to a certain extent the
awful strain. But what was Johannesburg's wrath to hear two days later
that the sentences were not for the periods mentioned, _but that at
the expiration of these periods the prisoners could make fresh
applications to be again considered!_ This was juggling with human
souls! Everybody believed it to be the work of Dr. Leyds. A man more
execrated than Dr. Leyds, I believe, does not live!

Three more weeks of cruel suspense followed.

Mr. Chamberlain continued to tumble down the Boer back stairs head
over heels, yelling out excuses as he descended. He publicly denied on
the 29th that Great Britain had promised to protect the Reformers,
and added that they were not being unfairly treated. I will never make
statesmen of my sons. I'd rather set them to ploughing.

Mark Twain came to the Rand. He visited the men at Pretoria. My
husband did the honours of the prison, and introduced him to the
Reformers. He talked a long while to them, sitting on a dry goods box.
Expressed his satisfaction at finding only one journalist in the
crowd, and no surprise that the lawyers were largely represented. He
assured them that they were to be congratulated and envied, although
they did not know it. There was no place one was so safe from
interruption as in a jail. He recalled to their minds Cervantes and
Columbus--it was an honour to share captivity with such men as these.

They have sent another member of the Executive away to the baths, and
later his absence will be given as an excuse for delay.

MAY 30.--All the Reformers with the exception of Davies and Sampson,
and the four leaders, are released after paying ten thousand dollars
each, and giving their oath to abstain in future from discussing or
participating in Transvaal politics.

JUNE.--Meetings are called by the labourers on the Rand. They send a
monster petition to Pretoria. The miners and mechanics also send a
petition. The famous Innes petition is being circulated all over South
Africa, and the