leaving for the Natal frontier. Good-bye. I must
now quit the house. Who knows, perhaps for ever!"

General Joubert's mandate was couched as follows:--

"You are hereby ordered to proceed with the Johannesburg
commando to Volksrust to-morrow, Friday evening, at 8
o'clock. Your field cornets have already received
instructions to commandeer the required number of burghers
and the necessary horses, waggons, and equipment.
Instructions have also been given for the necessary railway
conveyances to be held ready. Further instructions will
reach you."

Previous to my departure next morning I made a hurried call at
Commandant-General Joubert's offices. The ante-chamber leading to the
Generalissimo's "sanctum-sanctorum" was crowded with brilliantly-uniformed
officers of our State Artillery, and it was only by dint of using my
elbows very vigorously that I gained admission to my chief-in-command.

The old General seemed to feel keenly the gravity of the situation. He
looked careworn and troubled: "Good-morning, Commandant," he said;
"aren't you away yet?"

I explained that I was on my way to the railway station, but I thought
before I left I'd like to see him about one or two things.

"Well, go on, what is it?" General Joubert enquired, petulantly.

"I want to know, General Joubert," I said, "whether England has
declared war against us, or whether we are taking the lead. And
another thing, what sort of general have I to report myself to at
Volksrust?"

The old warrior, without looking up or immediately answering me, drew
various cryptic and hieroglyphic pothooks and figures on the paper
before him. Then he suddenly lifted his eyes and pierced me with a
look, at which I quailed and trembled.

He said very slowly: "Look here; there is as yet no declaration of
war, and hostilities have not yet commenced. You and my other officers
should understand that very clearly, because possibly the differences
between ourselves and Great Britain may still be settled. We are only
going to occupy our frontiers because England's attitude is extremely
provocative, and if England see that we are fully prepared and that we
do not fear her threats, she will perhaps be wise in time and
reconsider the situation. We also want to place ourselves in a
position to prevent and quell a repetition of the Jameson Raid with
more force than we exerted in 1896."

An hour afterwards I was on board a train travel