‘Oh, when you were gone, we did not seem to enjoy ourselves, so we returned; we have been here since Friday.’ ‘You are very flattering to pretend that you value my company so much. Of course, you were curious to know what was going on here, and therefore you returned,’ said Steve, laughing. ‘Well, I suppose you are partly right; we could hardly stay there quietly in the veld without news, while we knew that history was being made at the rate of a hundred miles an hour, and as you had _skedaddled_, we soon followed suit, only we came in an orderly and comfortable way, and did not start on _shank’s_ pony as you did,’ replied Keith. ‘I suppose you returned by the way you went. Well, I think every man to his taste. I wanted to be in at the death; you preferred a more quiet, neutral position. I don’t blame you; every man must do as his conscience tells him.’ ‘And how did you fare, Steve? You might give us a relation of your adventures,’ begged Harrison. Steve gave a rough outline of his adventures since he left the party on the Vaal River, and when he told them that he was present at, and participated in, the Battle of Doornkop, he was plied with questions from all sides, to which he replied as best and as modestly as he could. ‘How many Boers were there against Jameson, Joubert?’ queried a late arrival (who was also a professed Boer hater), named Hastings. Steve had noticed his antagonism towards the Government of the country, and was not at all well disposed towards him. ‘Well, if you wish to know how many Boers were or are against Jameson, I could not tell you exactly; but if I had a copy of the last census papers I might be able to give you some idea of the number. If it will help you, however, I may tell you that _every_ Boer or Afrikander (as we call them) in South Africa is against Jameson.’ The others present laughed at this little sally of Steve’s. ‘Of course, you know, I don’t mean who is against him in principle, I mean how many Boers (or Afrikanders as you prefer to call them) _fought_ against Jameson.’ ‘Oh, why did you not say so then? Well, I will draw it as mild as possible,’ said Steve, with some sarcasm, which he could hardly conceal, ‘so as to save your feelings; for if I were to give you the exact number, you would not believe me and would think I was trying to bluff you. Well, there were no more than one hundred Boers actually fighting against Jameson and his band at the Battle of Doornkop.’ ‘Bah! you must think I am a green ’un. Do you think I will believe that one hundred Boers could defeat eight hundred drilled English troops, and armed with artillery too? Tell it to the marines.’ ‘Oh, so you _do_ call them English troops?’ asked Steve. ‘Well, of course, they are not Imperial troops actually, but they are mostly Englishmen, and have been drilled and disciplined by English officers, and on the English principle, but are not British troops.’