of the refugees was restored to the glimpses of the moon.

In the meantime our friends the Boers had taken to flight. Their guns
(including Long Tom) had vanished, and Long Cecil kept barking furiously
to expedite their departure. The Boer positions were soon occupied by
British troops; large quantities of provisions and forage which had been
left behind were duly confiscated; while French's ordnance was
substituted for the guns that had so long intensified the heat of a
Kimberley summer. In town all was bunting and gladness. The red, white,
and blue bedecked the houses, the lamp posts, the tram-cars, the
barrel-organs, the monkeys, the dogs, and the horseflesh! The relief of
Kimberley was an accomplished fact. The issue of the campaign was no
longer in doubt.

Little now remains to be told. There is no need to speak of the rapidity
with which railway communication was restored, or of how amid general
rejoicings a train steamed into the city and steamed out again
choc-a-bloc with passengers in cattle trucks. Nor need I pity the lot of
the postal officials when the sorting of a million letters had begun. It
is not for me to tell of the joy of reading them; to dwell on the
Dronfield fight; the evacuation of Magersfontein; the _tableau_ at
Paarderberg, of its chastening effects on the "Military Situation." Nor
may I speculate on how well or wisely we ate and drank when gormandism
was again in consonance with law-abiding citizenship. All these things
were _after_ the Siege.

For the rest, the citizens had responded to the call of duty with a
spontaneity worthy of the highest praise. They had "roughed it" in their
tents uncomplainingly (sulking only on occasions, like Achilles). All
honour, all gratitude to the good men and women who had spent themselves
so unselfishly for the common good. The De Beers Corporation merit a
meed of commendation for the manner in which they rose to a recognition
of their responsibilities. An expression of regret is due to the
Commanding-Officer for the impatience with which we had treated his
proclamations and chafed under Martial Law. Our attitude had been
oftentimes unfair. But the Colonel's _regency_ had in the main been
conspicuous for high ability, considerateness, and a firmness that could
have scarcely been dispensed with. Finally, Mr. Rhodes--by virtue of his
beneficent, unceasing labours on behalf of the beleagured
population--stood higher than ever in the affections of the people am