"This put me into rather a difficult position, but fortunately the commando was not at the kopje, and after riding round for hours we had to return. I knew he had some papers on him, but how to get at them was the difficulty. We both entered a farmhouse, and then I purposely so aroused the farmer's suspicions without giving myself away to Cordua that he sent for the English picket, and the farmhouse was surrounded. We were arrested and taken to a tent. "I wanted the officer to search us, but this he neglected to do, and Cordua still held the indispensable papers to prove the plot. Then I turned to Cordua suddenly and said: 'Quick, hand me your papers, they are going to search us.' He handed me some letters, and as I hastily put them in my pocket, I noticed him chewing, and later swallowing, a piece of paper. The letters were in cypher, and he had swallowed the key. But I had the letters, and that was something. My next move was to find out who were actively implicated in the plot. As we jolted along to Pretoria in an ox-waggon, I told Cordua it was a serious business for me; who would protect me should I escape? He gave me the names of several persons in Pretoria who would shelter me. When we reached the city I prevailed on the picket to take two cabs, and we were driven as prisoners to the Provost-Marshal's office. That is the story of how Cordua was captured, but my experiences were by no means ended there. "Cordua was still under the impression that I was a prisoner, an impression I wanted maintained, in order that I might lay hold of the other conspirators. When we were taken into the office, I therefore darted through a back door, and escaped into the street, the officer recognising me. I was instructed to continue my investigations, and went as an escaped prisoner to the house to which I was directed by Cordua, where I was concealed. The police, of course, kept searching for me, and soon after I was settled they came along. I was changed from one house to another with great rapidity. Sometimes there were shots fired during the operations, sometimes not; sometimes I even fired myself. I became quite expert at jumping out of back windows and over fences, but it was necessary in the interests of the service. After a short experience of this kind I was allowed to relinquish my rôle of escaped prisoner, and return to my ordinary duties."