mayors of all the large towns are preparing to go in a
body to Pretoria to present their petitions for the release of the
leaders. The President promises and postpones from day to day. The
retention of the leaders is acknowledged to be only a question of the
amount of fine.

An influential deputation from the Cape Town branch of the Africander
Bond wait upon President Kruger, and a petition signed by sixty
members of the Cape Parliament is read to him. Another deputation
comes from the Chamber of Commerce. The Mayor of Durban forwards
through the Colonial Secretary a petition bearing 1,250 names, and the
Kimberley branch of the Bond send a petition. Nothing comes of it all.
The President appoints the 7th to be a day of humiliation and prayer,
and Dr. Leyds doubles his bodyguard.

JUNE 10.--The whole of South Africa is appealing to President Kruger
to let the leaders free. The entire white population--two millions of
people--give voice to this desire and hope of United South Africa. One
hundred and fifty mayors, representing 200 towns and many of the rural
districts, are in Pretoria waiting for audience with the Executive
Council.

This evening, Thursday, June 11, the leaders were given their liberty
after paying each a fine of 125,000 dollars, and taking an oath to
abstain from taking part in the politics of the Transvaal. Colonel
Rhodes refused, being an English officer, to take the oath, and was
banished, not to appear again in the Transvaal, under pain of death.

The Executive then politely announced its decision to receive the
Mayoral delegates on _Saturday morning_ next. Perhaps the Mayors were
not mad! Some of these men had trekked for days in ox-wagons before
reaching the railroad to take train for Pretoria. A large banquet was
given in their honour. They insisted upon the liberated leaders being
invited as guests--but those criminals, leaders, and instigators did
not attend, deeming it injudicious under the circumstances.

My husband flew to me, who am still kept indoors. He came with a light
in his face I had not seen for months. 'We are free!'

JUNE 12.--This is a gala day in Johannesburg. Everybody is
joyous--Kruger's name is cheered everywhere. Several thousand people
were at the station to receive the leaders. Messrs. Phillips and
Farrar were the only two left of the four to step off the train. They
were caught up shoulder-high and carried by the crowd. Cheers rent the
air. The horses were unyoked f