No man could risk the unknown dangers of leaving the town under the present conditions to warn him; no one would know where to find the Secret Service Corps in the field. His friends decided to possess their souls in patience, trusting in the capabilities of the wily Captain and knowing full well that if any one could find a way out, or in, he would. He did not disappoint them, and they might have known that on this occasion everything he did would be exactly opposed to his former methods. It was to be a time of surprises for every one. Hansie and her mother were just talking about the Captain and regretting the appearance of the young moon--which meant under ordinary circumstances, _no_ spies in town--and wondering how much longer they would be able to endure their suspense--wondering, too, how they would communicate with the Commander in future and longing for reliable news from the field--when the unexpected happened. At break of day December 17th three travellers entered the town, travel-stained, torn, and weary. They walked boldly through the streets of Pretoria in the dim light of a summer's dawn, and what their destination was we shall see presently. The van Warmelos were having supper that night at 8 o'clock when the door opened unceremoniously and Flippie's shock head was thrust in. "There are two ladies looking for Harmony," he said. "They are at the front gate and want to see you." Hansie immediately went out and met two girls, strangers to her, coming up the garden-path. "Good evening," she said. "Do you wish to see my mother?" "Who are you?" was the somewhat unexpected but perfectly natural question. "I am Miss van Warmelo. Do you want any one here?" "Yes," one of them replied in a hurried and mysterious way. "There are two men at your garden gate and they want to see Mrs. van Warmelo." "Won't you ask them to come up to the house?" Hansie asked. "You can't very well expect my mother to----" "Oh yes, she must," the other broke in hurriedly; "it is all right--she knows them. They will tell her themselves what they want." "Wait here a moment. I will call my mother." Hansie had some trouble in persuading her mother to leave the house. "I am not going down to the gate to see any men," she said. "Let them come up to me." "They won't, mother. It is no use. There is something behind this. They are either our own spies or the English are setting a trap for us. Be on your guard, but come out into the garden." Sorely against her will Mrs. van Warmelo hurried out of the house, where she gave the girls a cool and haughty reception, saying: "I don't understand this. Will you be good enough to ask your friends to come up to my house if they wish to speak to me?" And with that she turned back to the house alone.