I answered, “For me you cannot do much, for as far as my cattle are concerned I have lost nearly everything. But I have still two horses left, and one of these belonged to my son, who is dead, and I hope that you will not take it away from me.” He gave me his hand and he said, “It shall not be taken away from you.” I thanked him and went home again. Lord Methuen remained in Lichtenburg for a week. When the place was once more empty General De la Rey came back to the village. He remained with us for four days. The day he left Lord Methuen returned. There was a big fight that day not very far from the village. Towards nightfall the burghers beat a retreat under General Lemmer, and next morning the troops came back to Lichtenburg. The following day the English commandant came to see me. He had a hard task before him, he told me; he had been ordered to burn my house down. I asked him where I was to go to with my children if my house were burned down. “I shall leave one of the buildings standing for you.” I thanked him, and I said to him, “Burn them down, burn the others down if you think it fit to do so. Even if you leave one for me, there will still be four to burn. However cruel you may seem to be, yet God is always gracious.” He answered that it was very hard indeed for him; but that he had his orders and he must obey. All the same, he went away without burning any of the buildings. Then came another trial. One afternoon, at about three o’clock, they suddenly came to tell me that I must start for Mafeking with my daughter in half-an-hour. “And what about my other children then?” I asked. “Have you got more children still?” asked the man. I called all my children together. “Very well,” he went on then, “you can take all your children with you.” “And for what reasons am I being sent away in this fashion?” “When General De la Rey was here you took him in and sheltered him.” “Yes,” I answered, “I did take him in and shelter him; and I shall do it five hundred times more if it please the Lord to spare him. I am prepared to go away as a prisoner of war, but I will not do it of my own free will. And you say to Lord Methuen that he knows very well that my husband is only fighting for his rights and doing his best for his country. I will tell you a parable for him. Instead of doing harm to our cause, every step you take against us makes it one hundredfold stronger. Where only one now calls for vengeance, hundreds shall come to be avenged. He can send me wherever he likes, but it will not do you any good. I never thought to be so badly treated in the Queen’s name. I could not have believed that because you cannot get the better of our men you would set to work against their women.”