The Boer leader hesitated as if about to speak, but the colonel turned upon him sharply. "Quick, sir," he cried; "I have no time to waste. Tell your companions this, so that there may be no mistake." The man stepped back, and his followers pressed round him talking eagerly, several of them understanding English to some extent, and for a few minutes they conversed together excitedly, till, with a shrug of the shoulders, the principal Boer turned and advanced to the colonel. "Well," said the latter, "do they fully grasp all this?" "Oh yes; they know," replied the man sourly. "That will do, then," said the colonel. "No; stop. You are no longer our enemies, and we have treated you well; henceforth act as friends. Go back to your farms, and collect and bring here corn, oxen, and sheep, as much as you like, and I will buy it of you at a good price." The Boer brightened up at this. "In money?" he said. "Not in paper orders?" "In hard cash, my suspicious friend," said the colonel, with a look of contempt; "but it's time you had learnt that our government paper is as good as Transvaal gold." "We will be paid in gold," said the Boer, with a peculiar smile. "That will do, then," said the colonel. "Now you can go, and the sooner you set to work to teach your fellow-countrymen to respect the British Government the better for you all. Now, off at once." The Boer rejoined his companions, talked with them for a few minutes, and returned. "Back again?" said the colonel. "Well, what is it?" "We are waiting to go," said the Boer coolly. "Very well; the way is open," said the colonel. "Off with you, and think you are lucky that we do not keep you as prisoners." As he spoke he pointed out towards the open veldt; but the Boer shook his head. "Not that way," he said. "We want to cross the spruit to join our friends." The colonel hesitated. "Well," he said, turning to the major, "perhaps it is not fair to send them out on the karoo." "But if you let them join their friends they will be fighting against us again to-morrow." "So they will be," said the colonel grimly, "if we send them in the other direction. You don't suppose I have any faith in their parole, do you?" "I did not know," said the major. "There, I will send a picket with you to see you safely to the ford," said the colonel. "Now, off at once, and bring the forage as soon as you can." "To-morrow or next night," said the Boer, with a nod. "Here, Roby, send a sergeant's guard to see these people past the outposts.--Now, my good fellow, time is valuable here. Follow that gentleman, and he will see that you are safely passed through our lines. Well, what now?" "You haven't given him orders to return us our horses and our rifles." "What!" cried the colonel. "We can't get about without them," said the Boer coolly. The colonel laughed.