se, where the spies were waiting for her. "I have never
known him so quarrelsome and unkind. I wonder what it could have been!
The German Consul's visit or the President's escape? What a mercy that
he knew nothing of----" She cycled faster, suddenly remembering that
it was late and there was still much to do before the two men could
begin their perilous journey that night.

After she had handed the parcel over to them, with verbal
instructions for its use, she bade them good-bye and went home to
lunch.

That evening Mrs. van Warmelo took important documents, of which we
speak later, and European newspaper cuttings to the Captain, with some
money for her tattered son, and a letter for him in a disguised hand.
No names were mentioned, and in the event of the spies falling into
the hands of the enemy, nothing found on them could have incriminated
any one.

They were about to leave when she arrived at Mrs. Joubert's house.

Their preparations were conducted in perfect silence, except for an
occasional whispered command, while outside, guard was kept by an
alert figure, slender and upright, the figure of the aged hostess of
the spies, who, it is said, was never visible to the spies and never
slept by day or night as long as these men were being sheltered under
her roof.

A brave and dauntless woman she was, knowing no fear for herself, but
filled with concern for the fate of the men whose capture meant
certain death, for it was whispered in town that on the head of Koos
Naude, Captain of the Secret Service, a price of L1,000 had been
fixed.

The men left Pretoria that night for the "nest" of the spies in the
Skurvebergen, west from Pretoria, and from there they proceeded to
where they expected to find the Generals.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE CASE OF SPOELSTRA

There were so many events of importance during the month of July 1901
that there is great difficulty in choosing the right material from
Hansie's diary.

No wonder that that period seems to have been in a state of chaos, for
the things to which we attached the greatest importance "ended in
smoke," and seemingly small incidents assumed gigantic proportions
before the glorious spring broke over the country.

Hansie was busy preparing for her tour of inspection through the
Camps, though to tell the truth she rather dreaded it, because she was
far from strong, but she realised that this was an opportunity not to
be despised.

General Maxwell frequently i