With him political opinion did not sever the ties of friendship. Personalities did not enter into his political life. He would hold his own tenaciously, and give blow for blow in fair fight, but there it ended. Meeting a number of friends at the Church Offices, 22 Queen Street, shortly after this election, who were sympathising with him on his defeat, he cheerily replied, 'Oh, I don't think much of a man if he can't take a beating.' {172} CHAPTER X OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA--COMMAND OF THE HIGHLAND BRIGADE--DEPARTURE FOR SOUTH AFRICA--THE SITUATION--BATTLE OF MAGERSFONTEIN--DEATH--FUNERAL--AFTER THE BATTLE. Another and a more stirring field of action was in store for General Wauchope. In several of his election speeches reference, as we have shown, was made to the question then beginning to agitate the public mind, as to our relationship with the Transvaal Republic. It was not thought, however, that the difficulty was of such a nature as could not easily be overcome by diplomatic arrangement. True, the correspondence between Mr. Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary, and the Transvaal Government had been protracted, and had practically failed in securing any concession in favour of foreign residents in the Transvaal; but few realised how near we were to the verge of a war which has proved one of the greatest and most calamitous of the century. [Sidenote: South Africa] It will be in the recollection of our readers that when in 1881 the Boers invaded Natal and gained the victories of Laing's Nek and Majuba Hill, Sir Evelyn Wood had ranged his forces for an extended attack upon them and was ready for action; and notwithstanding that Sir Frederick, now Lord Roberts, had reached South Africa with 10,000 {173} additional men, the Government of Mr. Gladstone abandoned their position and hurriedly patched up a peace with Mr. Kruger. All accounts agree that the treaty or 'surrender' after Majuba was regarded by both whites and blacks all over South Africa as an absolute capitulation. It had at all events a most disastrous effect upon British influence there. From that date arose in the Boer mind that most fatal ingredient of racial animosity, contempt. As Kruger afterwards said, 'he had once reckoned with the British army,' and he felt he could safely do so again. The one idea apparently fixed in his mind and growing every day was to get rid of his subordination to the Queen, with a view, as the Transvaal grew in military efficiency, to subvert her power in South Africa altogether, and set up a Dutch Republic.