ilities in such a crisis. Did they realise its
gravity? Were facts being witheld? Was the true and actual condition of
the city as regards provisions and the contingencies to which their
scarcity might lead--were these things being properly represented to the
public and to Sir Redvers Buller? In our wisdom we feared not.
Scepticism and suspicion, born of disappointment, were in our hearts.
Our conclusions may not have been sound; we lacked a proper knowledge of
the difficulties confronting the army; but we _did_ feel that if the
real state of affairs had been explicitly indicated to the
Commander-in-Chief, a column would have reached Kimberley sooner. We
were not so far away from Orange River, where thousands of troops had
been massing for weeks. We were not so far _out_ of the way as Mafeking.
Nor were we like the defenders of Ladysmith entombed within towering
kopjes. No; to snap _our_ bonds was a relatively easy task. Little
provision had been made for a prolonged investment, and we had fifty
thousand stomachs to cater for. So much was plain. If Kimberley were to
be sacrificed to the "interests," forsooth, of the campaign, British
honour would be tarnished. Such a procedure would be not only brutal,
but a tactical blunder as well. We felt strongly that the relief of
Kimberley was an indispensable preliminary to success, and, by reason of
our proximity to the Free State border, the way that would soonest bring
the war to a successful issue--

But hark! Wherefore that wild halloo. Ah, there was news, charming news.
Lord Roberts had set sail for South Africa, to take over supreme
command. Hurrah for good old "Bobs!" We felt instinctively, or somehow,
that the little General could be trusted to dig for diamonds. The news
of "Bobs" made a chink in the cloud and disclosed its silver lining.
Kitchener, who accompanied Lord Roberts as Chief of Staff, had shown in
his generation some skill as a pioneer of deserts; the Karoo would be
child's play to him. The Soudan was a region in which our interest was
rather academic; but the killing of the Khalifa was announced and
applauded with the rest. Oom Paul's political extinction would soon
follow, and Kimberley would emerge with a whoop from captivity.

CHAPTER XII

_Week ending 6th January, 1900_

The last day of the year and the distant thunder of artillery burst upon
us simultaneously. That the peace of the Sabbath should be broken by
music not exactly sacred (or melod