pire became too fervent to be
restrained within the bounds of decency. "Remnants" of red, white and
blue were ostentatiously sewn into a distant resemblance of the British
flag; the parlour piano once more did its often unsatisfactory best with
the British anthem; mamma's darling received strict injunctions not to
play with that horrid little Dutch boy next door; and papa, jingling the
sovereigns he had received in his latest deal with the Government,
prepared to pat Lord Roberts on the back when he should enter the town.

But what can one say of those "oprechte[A] Afrikaners" who followed the
same procedure? The Smits who became Smith, the Louw that suddenly
shrank into Lowe (could he sink lower?), the Jansen transformed into
Johnson, and the Volschenk merged into Foolskunk? What did John Bull
think of all these precious acquisitions to his family?

In striking contrast was the bearing of some of the numerous
British-born officials, British-born and with British sympathies, who
nevertheless faithfully performed their arduous duties until their
services were no longer needed, and then entered the new regime with
conscience clear and not without some degree of regret for the old.
Loyal to the old, they could be loyal to the new. That several of the
British-born officials had played the despicable part of spy is
undoubted, but their villainy served but as a foil to show more clearly
the merits of those who remained honest men.

Before my leave had expired I returned to Natal, weary of miserable
Johannesburg, and little thinking that I should not see my home again
for years. Upon reaching Glencoe I found a telegram had just arrived,
granting my request to be sent to the Free State. An hour later I was on
my way, and the following evening the train landed me at Winburg, where
a construction party was awaiting my arrival.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote A: _Oprechte_ = thorough.]

THE FREE STATE

Menschvretersberg (Cannibal Mountain), near Thabanchu, was at this time
the site of the Boer headquarters, and it was our duty to establish
telegraphic communication between this point and Winburg, a distance of
about forty miles.

After consideration, the inspector decided that it would take too long
to lay a cable.

Wire fences had already been utilised in America for short-distance
telephonic communication, and this system had already been tried at Van
Reenenspas by ingenious young Bland, of the Free State telegraphs,