the days of my life-第25章

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Colonel　Lanyon10　said　he　could　see　that　you　had　written　in　too　great　a　hurry。　It　is　better　to　take　a　minute　longer　in　writing　to　prevent　any　word　being　misread　here；　which　might　lead　to　fatal　results。　Would　you　like　me　to　send　a　good　stock　of　food？　It　was　no　fault　of　mine　that　it　was　not　taken　with　you。　The　Landdrost’s　instructions　were　imperative　that　the　men　should　take　nothing。　Parents　are　wiring　into　me　now　and　say　they　hear　their　sons　are　starving。　Would　you　like　any　of　the　men　relieved？　I　should　not　ask；　but　do　it；　only　they　seem　to　have　got　so　very　nicely　into　the　thing　that　I　would　prefer　them　staying　on　unless　you　think　I　should　send　some　fresh　ones。　I　think　that　for　the　next　few　days　it　will　not　be　necessary　to　send　very　often。　However　I　leave　this　to　you。　We　are　not　having　all　beer　and　skittles　here。　What　with　guards　and　fortifying；　our　time　is　well　taken　up。　I　have　sent　down　for　your　letters；　also　Cochrane’s。
Yours　very　sincerely；
E。　Jackson。
10　Colonel　（afterwards　Sir　Owen）　Lanyon　succeeded　Sir　T。　Shepstone　when　he　went　home。
After　a　while　the　Boers　in　the　camp　got　wind　of　my　proceedings；　and　a　large　party　of　them；　from　thirty　to　fifty　men　I　should　say；　rode　to　the　inn　fully　armed；　with　the　avowed　intention　of　shooting　us。　In　this　emergency　I；　as　the　officer　in　mand；　had　on　the　instant　to　make　up　my　mind　what　to　do。　To　attempt　flight　would；　it　seemed　to　me；　betray　the　truth　as　to　the　reason　of　our　presence。　Moreover　we　should　almost　certainly　have　been　captured。　So　I　determined　that　we　should　stop　where　we　were。
They　came；　they　dismounted；　they　stormed　and　threatened。　I　on　my　part　gave　orders　that　no　man　was　to　suffer　himself　to　be　drawn　into　a　quarrel　or　to　do　anything　unless　we　were　actually　attacked；　when　all　had　liberty　to　sell　their　lives　as　dearly　as　they　could。　I　can　see　them　now；　standing　about　and　sitting　round　the　large　room　of　the　inn　with　their　rifles　between　their　knees。　I　sat　in　my　little　room　surveying　them　through　the　open　door；　pretending　to　understand　nothing　and　to　be　engaged　in　some　ordinary　occupation；　such　as　reading　or　writing。
After　an　hour　or　two　of　this　things　came　to　a　climax；　and　I　began　to　wonder　whether　we　had　another　five　minutes　to　live。　It　was　then　that　the　ready　resource　of　one　of　my　sergeants；　a　fine　young　fellow　called　Glynn；　saved　the　situation。　One　of　the　Boers　paused　in　a　furious　harangue　to　light　his　pipe；　and　having　done　so　threw　the　lighted　match　on　to　the　floor。　Glynn；　who　was　standing　amongst　them；　stepped　forward；　picked　up　the　match；　blew　it　out；　and　exclaimed　in　tones　of　heartfelt　gratitude　and　relief；　“Dank　Gott！”　（Thank　God）。
The　Boers　stared　at　him；　then　asked；　“For　what　do　you　thank　God；　Englishman？”
“I　thank　God；”　answered　Glynn；　who　could　talk　Dutch　perfectly；　“because　we　are　not　now　all　in　small　pieces。　Do　you　not　know；　Heeren；　that　the　British　Government　has　stored　two　tons　of　dynamite　under　that　floor？　Is　this　a　place　to　smoke　pipes　and　throw　down　matches？　Do　you　desire　that　all　your　wives　should　bee　widows；　as　would　have　happened　if　the　fire　from　that　match　had　fallen　through　the　boards　on　to　the　dynamite　beneath？　Oh！　thank　the　Lord　God。　Thank　the　Lord　God！”
Now　the　Boers　of　that　day　had　a　great　terror　of　dynamite；　of　the　properties　of　which　they　were　quite　ignorant。
“Allemagte！”　said　one　of　them。　“Allemagte！”　echoed　the　others。
Then　they　rose　in　a　body；　fearing　lest　we　had　some　devilish　scheme　to　blow　them　up。　In　a　few　minutes　not　one　of　them　was　to　be　seen。
Shortly　after　this　dynamite　incident　I　was　relieved　by　my　co…lieutenant；　a　very　nice　fellow　whose　name；　I　think；　was　Fell。　I　returned　to　Pretoria　on　a　beautiful　stallion　which　I　had　named　Black　Billy。　I　remember　that　Black　Billy　took　me　from　the　inn　to　the　town　in　very　little　over　the　hour。　Here　with　the　rest　of　the　corps　I　was　stationed　at　the　Government　mule　stables；　not　far　from　the　nek　through　which　I　believe　the　Natal　railway　now　runs。
A　few　nights　later　things　grew　more　serious。　Our　pickets　and　scouts；　to　say　nothing　of　natives；　announced　that　the　Boer　laager；　which；　by　the　way；　was　now　pitched　much　nearer　to　the　town　and　practically　besieging　it；　had　broken　up；　and　that　the　Boers　to　the　number　of　several　thousand　were　marching　on　Pretoria。　So　indeed　I　believe　they　were；　but　something；　probably　the　news　that　we　were　more　or　less　prepared　to　receive　them；　caused　them　to　change　their　minds　at　the　last　moment；　with　the　result　that　the　attack　was　never　actually　delivered。　Of　this；　however；　we　knew　nothing　in　our　mule…stable。　All　we　knew　was　that　at　any　given　moment　we　must　expect　to　bear　the　first　brunt　of　the　onslaught　of　several　thousand　men；　which　would　first　impinge　upon　our　position。　For　some　reason　which　I　cannot　recollect；　my　manding　officer；　Captain　Jackson；　was　away　that　night；　I　think　that　he　had　been　sent　on　a　mission　by　the　Government　and　taken　the　other　lieutenant　with　him；　leaving　me　in　mand　of　the　corps。
Well；　I　did　my　best。　A　few　candles　were　all　that　I　allowed；　set　at　intervals　on　the　floor　of　the　long　building；　that　they　might　not　shine　through　the　loopholes　and　draw　the　enemy’s　fire。　I　posted　my　best　shots；　Cochrane　among　them；　upon　the　upper　platform；　and　the　rest　at　the　loopholes　we　had　prepared　upon　the　ground　floor　and　upon　the　little　external　bastions。　Our　extemporised　pikes　were　also　laid　handy　for　immediate　use。
Till　dawn　we　waited　thus；　growing　rather　weary　at　the　last；　indeed　I　never　remember　a　longer　night。　Then　came　the　news　that　the　Boers　had　drawn　off；　leaving　Pretoria　unmolested；　after　which　we　went　to　bed　feeling　as　flat　as　ditch　water。
However；　all　these　operations　were　postponed　for　two　years；　for　the　reason　that　so　many　British　troops　were　pouring　into　South　Africa　in　connection　with　the　Zulu　War　that　the　Boers　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　time　was　not　opportune　to　rebel。　With　their　usual　good　sense　they　waited　till；　with　our　usual　folly；　we　had　shipped　almost　all　the　troops　back　to　England　and　Sir　Gar　Wolseley　had　sent　the　last　cavalry　regiment　out　of　the　country；　and　allowed　（or　perhaps　it　was　Lanyon　who　allowed　it）　three　hundred　volunteers；　nearly　every　man　of　whom　was　a　loyalist；　to　be　recruited　there　for　service　in　the　Basuto　War。　Then　their　chance　came；　one　of　which　they　made　the　most。　Then；　too；　the　Pretoria　Horse；　under　a　slightly　altered　name；　had　its　full　share　of　fighting；　losing；　I　think；　about　a　quarter　of　its　number　in　killed　and　wounded。　But；　alas！　at　that　time　I　was　no　longer　there　to　mand　a　squadron。　I　was　on　the　Natal　side　of　the　Berg；　listening　to　the　guns　thundering　at　Ingogo　and　Majuba。
Sir　Bartle　Frere；　after　interviews　with　the　Boer　leaders　in　their　camp；　reached　Pretoria　in　the　middle　of　April　1879；　and　remained　there　a　fortnight　as　Colonel　Lanyon’s　guest　at　Government　House。　I　remember　that　I　manded　the　guard　of　honour　which　met　him　in　the　veld　and　escorted　him　into　the　town；　a　duty　which　gave　rise　to　a　good　story　that　I　will　tell　at　my　own　expense。
By　this　time　the　Pretoria　Horse　was　a　very　smart　body　of　mounted　men　divided　into　two　squadrons。　I　regret　to　say；　however；　that　although　I　was；　I　believe；　efficient　enough　in　other　respects；　owing　to　a　lack　of　military　training　I　was　not　well　acquainted　with　the　ceremonial　words　of　mand。　When　the　High　missioner　appeared　I　ordered　the　corps　to　present　arms；　which　they　did　in　fine　style。　But　arms　cannot　always　be　kept　at　the　“present；”　and　in　due　course　it　became　necessary　that　they　should　be　returned　to　their　original　position。　Then　arose　my　difficulty。　I　had　either　neglected　to　provide　myself　with　or　had　forgotten　the　exact　words　that　should　be　used。　Yet　the　occasion　was　urgent：　something　had　to　be　done。　So　I　shouted　in　stentorian　tones　—　or　so　at　least　my　military　friends　used　to　swear　afterwards　when　they　wanted　to　chaff　me；　though　to　this　hour　I　do　not　believe　them　—　“Put　’em　back　again！”　Well；　it　served。　The　Pretoria　Horse　grinned　and　the　arms　went　back。
I　saw　Sir　Bartle　a　good　many　times　while　he　was　in　Pretoria；　being　brought　in　touch　with　him　not　only　as　an　official　but　because　he　and　my　mother　had　been　friends　when　they　were　young　together　in　India。　He　was　a　tall；　refined…looking　man　of　about　sixty…five；　who　always　seemed　to　me　to　be　employed　in　collecting　first…hand　information；　questioning　everyone　whom　he　met　on　the　chance　of　extracting　something　of　value。　I　think　that　occasionally　the　Colonial　officials　and　others　rather　resented　his　continual　cross…examination。　Indeed　there　is　a　trace　of　this　in　a　report　that　he　wrote　to　the　Colonial　Office　as　to　Shepstone’s　character；　dated　February　1879；　in　which　document　he　plained　that　he　could　not　get　as　much　out　of　Sir　Theophilus　as　he　would　have　wished。　Now　knowing　my　Chief　as　well　as　I　did；　my　conclusion　is　that　he　did　not　altogether　like　being　pumped；　especially　as　he　was　not　sure　what　use　would　be　made　of　the　information　or　if　it　would　be　correctly　assimilated。　Shepstone　was　always　open　enough　with　those　whom　he　thoroughly　knew　and　trusted；　but　these；　I　admit；　were　not　very　many　in　number。　Sir　Bartle　describes　him　as　“a　singular　type　of　an　Africander　Talleyrand；　shrewd；　observant；　silent；　self…contained；　immobile。”　So　he　may　have　appeared　to　him；　but　I　doubt　whether　he　ever　really　understood　the　man　or　with　what　keys　to　unlock　his　heart。
In　short；　I　imagine　that　when　he　was　in　Frere’s　pany　Shepstone　always　remained　more　or　less　on　the　defensive。　Whatever　may　be　the　truth　of　this　matter；　Sir　Bartle　makes　one　undoubted　mistake　in　the　paper　from　which　I　have　quoted。　He　says　that　Shepstone　had　no　sort　of　sympathy　with　the　Boers。　This　was　not　the　case；　as　I　know　from　many　talks　with　him。　He　was　full　of　sympathy　for　the　Boers；　and　understood　them　as　few　men　did。　Moreover　he　appreciated　all　their　good　points；　and　most　of　them　admired　and　were　attached　to　him　personally。　Had　this　not　been　so　he　could　never　have　annexed　the　Transvaal　with　such　parative　ease。　Moreover　it　should　be　remembered　that　all　the　acute　troubles　with　the　Boers　arose　after　his　departure　from　that　country。
In　my　opinion；　if　I　may　venture　to　give　it；　Sir　Bartle　Frere　was　a　great　administrator　and　almost　a　great　man。　But　I　do　not　think　he　was　suited　to　the　position　in　which　he　found　himself。　Had　Lord　Carnarvon　been　a　better　judge　of　men　and　of　c