Consuls, but the very first
thing sent to the commandos by Mrs. van Warmelo was a copy of the
first petition, tightly packed in a walnut, one of a handful which she
gave the spy, with instructions not to eat any of them on the road.

He also took a verbal message to the effect that though the condition
of the Camps was bad, everything was being done in town to bring about
the necessary improvements. Influential people were at work to make
everything public in Europe, and the men in the field were urged to be
brave and steadfast and of good cheer.

On July 29th Harmony was visited again by Mr. Willem Botha, bringing
with him information of a disquieting nature.

In some mysterious way he had received a piece of paper from Mr.
Gordon Fraser, brother-in-law to President Steyn, and prisoner of war
in the Rest Camp in Pretoria, on which, in a disguised hand, was
written a message imploring the Secret Service men to warn President
Steyn and General de Wet that a certain man amongst them, a prominent
official, was a traitor in their midst, paid by the enemy to betray
their plans before they could be carried out.

This information made the conspirators very anxious, for it being full
moon, there was no prospect of spies coming into town, and in the
meantime incalculable mischief could be done. Neither was it possible
to send any one out who had not been before and was ignorant of the
route. The matter had therefore to be left until the next suitable
opportunity came and Mr. Botha went home with a heavy heart.

Unlike his usual prudent self, Mr. Botha did not immediately destroy
the slip of paper on which the warning was written, but folded it
carefully and placed it between the tattered leaves of an old
hymn-book.

How he paid for this small indiscretion, the only one of which he was
guilty, with days of anxiety and despair, and very nearly with his
life, we shall see as our story develops!

* * * * *

In the early days of August the troops encamped around Harmony could,
if they had used their sixth sense, have divined an air of suppressed
excitement about the place.

Expectation of some sort evidently charged the atmosphere. Visitors
were, in fact, expected, for Captain Naude and his secretary had
arranged to come in for the report of the Consul, just before the new
moon made its appearance, and now a faint crescent of silver in the
heavens warned our heroines that their time was at h