"Not the blackest blacks, sor," said the man, drawing himself up and raising one hand and his voice in an oratorical way; "the blacks I mane are white-skinned, but black in the heart through and through; the blacks who are the dispisers of progress, the foes of freedom, the inimies of the counthry, sor--the despicable, insolent Saxons." "Do you mean the English?" said my father coolly. "I do that, sor," said the man defiantly; "and the day has dawned at last when the down-thrampled Boers are goin' to give them a lesson that shall make the British lion snaik out of this counthry with his tail between his legs like a beaten dog." "You are a British subject, sir," said my father. "Mahn, I scorrun it," cried our visitor. "I have thrown off all fealty years ago, and am a free Irishman, and captain of the body of brave men who are going to dhrive the tyranny of England out of this colony for ever." "This is all news to me, sir," said my father coldly. "Is it, sor?" said our visitor mockingly. "Then I'm proud to be the bearer of the great news." "Do you mean to tell me, then," said my father, "that there is war declared by England against the Boers?" "No, sor," cried the fellow insolently; "but I tell you that we have declared war again' the brutal Saxon." "We, sir?" said my father gravely. "But you are one of the Queen's servants--an Irishman." "Nothing of the sort, sor. I disown England; I disowned her when I came out here to throw meself into the arrums of the brave, suffering, pathriotic race around me, and placed my sword at their service." "Then you are a soldier, I presume?" said my father. "I was tin years in the arrmy, sor," said our visitor, drawing himself up and clapping his hand upon his chest. "Look at thim," he continued, pointing to his followers drawn up in line. "A part of my following, and as fine irrigular cavalry as ever threw leg over saddle.--Look here, young man, ye're in luck, for ye'll have the honour of serving in Captain Eustace Moriarty's troop." "You are Captain Eustace Moriarty?" said my father. "I am, sor." "Then I must tell you, sir," said my father, "that though I have taken up land here and made it my home, I claim my rights as an Englishman not to make myself a traitor by taking up arms against my Queen." "A thraitor!" cried the captain. "Bah! That for the Queen;" and he snapped his fingers. "But ye're not asked to serve now. That can wait till ye're wanted. It's the bhoy we want, and maybe after a bit it'll be you." "My son thinks as I do," said my father sternly. "Does he, now?" said the captain mockingly. "Then I shall have to tache him to think as I do, and it won't take long. D'ye hear me, bhoy?" "I hear what you say, sir," I replied. "Of course I think as my father does, and I refuse to serve against England."