‘Oh, I would easily recognise one if I were to see one. Shall I describe to you what my idea of a Boer is, from reading and hearing him described? Here you are, then. I will begin from the top. Dirty slouch hat; long, greasy, unkempt hair; tangled and untrimmed beard; sly, crafty eyes; a sensual and unclean mouth; dirty and unwashed face; dirty, baggy, ragged clothing; if any shirt at all--dirty; if any shoes at all--made of untanned leather. In short, a _Boer_ is a man uncivilised, untaught, untamed.’ This was said in such an innocent, inoffensive way that Steve took no offence, but only laughed heartily, as if at a good joke. ‘Now, what are you laughing at? Do you mean to say my description is not true? If so, then you must blame those who have written the different descriptions from which I have gathered my ideal of a Boer.’ ‘Pardon me, sir; but are you the only stranger in Jerusalem? Where are you from?’ ‘I am from Glasgow, Scotland, at your service,’ was the smiling and good-natured reply. ‘But how long have you been out of Glasgow?’ ‘Not quite a month. I arrived here to-day, and I came straight here.’ ‘But surely, on your way from the coast, you must have met many a Boer?’ ‘No, I did not; but I suppose it is because I came straight on to Pretoria after leaving the steamer.’ ‘Well, sir, you have a few things to learn yet, for I am afraid you will have to journey far to meet your ideal of a Boer. He does not exist.’ ‘Well, I shall see. I suppose I will come across one or more during my stay.’ Steve could not suppress another hearty laugh; but as he saw that the kind-looking old man seemed hurt at his mirth, he hastened to say,-- ‘Excuse me, sir; it amused me to hear you say that you would recognise a Boer when you saw one, and immediately after express a hope that you would see one or more during your stay. Why, don’t you know that half the guests round this table are what you call Boers, or, rather, what we call them as a nation--Afrikanders?’ ‘Well, I am--blessed! Do you mean they are born Boers, or are they naturalised Uitlanders?’ ‘No, sir; born and bred in the Transvaal or Cape Colony. That one there was born in the Cape Colony; this one to the left was born and grew up on a farm in Waterberg; this gentleman just opposite us made his living by farming, until he became a Government official; that one to his right is an attorney, whose father was a true old Boer of the old school.’ ‘Well, who would have thought it! One never gets too old to learn. It is lucky for me that they did not overhear me.’ ‘It would not matter if they did. We Afrikanders are accustomed to be misunderstood and underrated.’ ‘What do you mean by saying “_we Afrikanders_?” Surely _you_ are an Englishman; your speech betrays you.’ ‘I am as true an Afrikander as Oom Paul himself; may I be as good a one as he is.’ ‘You an Afrikander? _You_ a Boer? Surely, sir, you are trying to make fun of me?’