BADEN-POWELL OF MAFEKING [Illustration: BADEN-POWELL IN HIS OFFICE] BADEN-POWELL OF MAFEKING BY J.S. FLETCHER AUTHOR OF "THE BUILDERS," "THE PATHS OF THE PRUDENT," ETC. METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE MAN IN THE STREET PART I. BADEN-POWELL--THE MANNER OF MAN HE IS PAGE I. The Boy and His People 11 II. "Bathing-Towel" 18 III. Learning the Trade 24 IV. Scout and Sportsman 29 V. The Kindly Humorist 42 PART II. AN EXPEDITION AND A CAMPAIGN I. The Ashanti Expedition, 1895-6 47 II. The Matabele Campaign, 1896 64 PART III. THE STORY OF THE SIEGE OF MAFEKING, 1899-1900 I. The Warm Corner 89 II. Warmer and Warmer 97 III. Sitting Tight 104 IV. The Last Days 111 V. The Relief and the Empire 119 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Baden-Powell in his Office _Frontispiece_ A Merciful Man (_Sketch by the Author_) 14 The Horse Guard " " 26 Following up the Spoor " " 29 Britannia " " 45 Sketch Map of the March to Kumassi " " 48 Human Sacrifice at Bantama " " 51 Portrait of King Prempeh " " 55 King Prempeh watching the arrival of Troops " " 59 Embarkation of King Prempeh " " 63 Sketch Map of the Theatre of Operations " " 65 Mafeking to Buluwayo--Ten Days and Nights by Coach " " 66 The Umgusa Fight: June 6th " " 67 Eight to One " " 70 Scout Burnham " " 73 The Peace Indaba with the Matopo Rebels " " 75 The Battle of August 5th " " 77 A Human Salt-Cellar " " 79 Fresh Horse-Beef " " 81 Dolce far Niente " " 87 An every-day Scene in the Market 95 Strolling Home in the Morning (_Sketch by the Author_)104 "Halt! who comes there?" " " 104