se heart felt as though it were
bursting with anguish and indignation, pushed her way through the men,
and, running to the house, filled a glass and brought it to him. One of
the brutes tried to knock it out of her hand, but she avoided him and
gave it to her uncle, who drank it greedily.

"Thank you, love, thank you," he said; "don't be frightened, I ain't
much hurt. Ah! if only John had been here, and we had had an hour's
notice, we would have held the place against them all."

Meanwhile one of the Boers, climbing on to the shoulders of another,
had succeeded in untying the cord on which the Union Jack was bent, and
hauled it down. Then they reversed it and hoisted it half-mast high, and
began to cheer for the Republic.

"Perhaps Uncle Silas does not know that we are a Republic again now,"
said one of the men, a near neighbour of his own, in mockery.

"What do you mean by a Republic?" asked the old man. "The Transvaal is a
British colony."

There was a hoot of derision at this. "The English Government has
surrendered," said the same man. "The country is given up, and the
British are to evacuate it in six months."

"It is a lie!" said Silas, springing to his feet, "a cowardly lie!
Whoever says that the English have given up the country to a few
thousand blackguards like you, and deserted its subjects and the loyals
and the natives, is a liar--a liar from hell!"

There was another howl of mockery at this outburst, and when it had
subsided Frank Muller stepped forward.

"It is no lie, Silas Croft," he said, "and the cowards are not we Boers,
who have beaten you again and again, but your soldiers, who have done
nothing but run away, and your Mr. Gladstone, who follows the example of
your soldiers. Look here"--and he took a paper out of his pocket--"you
know that signature, I suppose? It is that of one of the Triumvirate.
Listen to what he says," and he read aloud:--

"'Well-beloved _Heer_ Muller,--this is to inform you that, by the
strength of our arms fighting for the right and freedom, and also by the
cowardice of the British Government, generals, and soldiers, we have by
the will of the Almighty concluded this day a glorious peace with the
enemy. The _Heer_ Gladstone surrenders nearly everything except in the
name. The Republic is to be re-established, and the soldiers who are
left will leave the land within six months. Make this known to everyone,
and forget not to thank God for our glorious victories.'"