"I wish to offer you a chance of avoiding it. My advice to you is to return to your homes without delay and remain peaceful till the war is over. Those who do this before the 13th will, as far as possible, be protected, as regards yourselves, your families, and property, from confiscation, looting, and other penalties to which those remaining under arms will be subjected when the invasion takes place. Secret agents will communicate to me the names of those who do. Those who do not avail themselves of the terms now offered may be sure that their property will be confiscated when the troops arrive. Each man must be prepared to hand over a rifle and one hundred and fifty rounds of ammunition. The above terms do not apply to officers and members of the Staats Artillery, who may surrender as prisoners of war at any time, nor to rebels on British territory. It is probable that my force will shortly take the offensive. To those who after this warning defer their submission till too late I can offer no promise. They will have only themselves to blame for injury to and loss of property. They and their families may afterwards suffer. (Signed) "R.S.S. BADEN-POWELL, "Colonel. "Mafeking, Dec. 10th." * * * * * It is almost unnecessary to say that the Boers did not take this advice, and that their leaders endeavoured to falsify Baden-Powell's statements and predictions. Events went on pretty much as usual from the date of this letter until Christmas. The previous week had been fairly quiet, save for a continual artillery duel between the garrison's Nordenfeldt and the Boers' big gun, and the besieged had been encouraged a good deal by the news of British successes. A two days' truce was agreed upon for Christmas, and on Sunday, the 24th, the children, who had spent most of their time during the previous two months in the gloom of the shell-proof refuges, were brought into the town and treated to a Christmas-tree, which had been provided by a Committee of which Lady Sarah Wilson was the moving spirit. That night--Christmas Eve--there was a special service in the English church, garnished and decorated for the occasion. One of the Boer shells had struck the church during a previous bombardment and had damaged the fabric, but in spite of this the congregation was cheerful and happy, and sang hymns and carols, though those of the men who were there were armed, booted, and spurred, and ready for any emergency.