Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 2, 2025
The honest burghers who had captured us had to return to the front, and we were to be handed over to the police. The leader of the escort a dear old gentleman I am ignorant of his official rank approached and explained through Spaarwater that it was he who had placed the stone and so caused our misfortunes. He said he hoped we bore no malice.
They shoot jolly well, old chappie. I, too, can shoot. I can hit a bottle six times out of seven at a hundred yards, but when there is a battle then I do not shoot so well. The other man, who understood a little English, grinned at this, and muttered something in Dutch. 'What does he say? I inquired. 'He says "He too," replied Spaarwater. 'Besides, we cannot see your soldiers.
'Well, now, you send a good deal of your produce by rail, I suppose? 'Don't you find the rates very high? 'Ya, ya, said both the Boers together; 'very high. You are paying them. At this they both laughed heartily, and Spaarwater said that that was quite true, and that the rates were too high.
I had indulged in hopes of leaving the train while in the Volksrust Tunnel by climbing out of the window. The possibility had, however, presented itself to Spaarwater, for he shut both windows, and just before we reached the entrance opened the breech of his Mauser to show me that it was fully loaded. So prudence again imposed patience.
One of the Boer guards noticed the attention I paid to these arrangements. 'It is in case we have to go back quickly to the Biggarsberg or Laing's Nek, he explained. As we travelled on I gradually fell into conversation with this man. His name, he told me, was Spaarwater, which he pronounced Spare-water. He was a farmer from the Ermolo district. In times of peace he paid little or no taxes.
'Under the English Government, I said, 'he will not get such high wages; you will not have to pay such high rates. They received the conclusion in silence. Then Spaarwater said, 'Yes, but we shall have to pay a tribute to your Queen. 'Does Cape Colony? I asked. 'Well, what about that ironclad?
'Yes, he replied simply, 'I hope so. Then we said 'good-bye, and I gave him, and also Spaarwater, a little slip of paper setting forth that they had shown kindness and courtesy to British prisoners of war, and personally requesting anyone into whose hands the papers might come to treat them well, should they themselves be taken by the Imperial forces.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking