The spies would have glided into the house in the false security occasioned by the absence of the danger-signal, they would have been watched and followed to the very doors by the hidden foe, the house would have been surrounded and stormed by armed men, and a fierce, an unspeakably horrible encounter would have ended in death and destruction--_if they had come_. But they were prevented on commando from keeping their appointment that month--and at the very time when they expected to be safely housed under Harmony's hospitable roof, the place was surrounded, an entry forced and every corner of the house searched for spies. It happened "like so," and we must now turn our attention for a moment to a matter of small importance in order to understand why Hansie was from home at a critical time, and how she missed the keen enjoyment of being present at the "raid." For some weeks the advisability of leaving home on a pleasure trip had been discussed. While the moon was on the wane their friends from commando would not be likely to pay them a visit, but Mrs. van Warmelo, who never had much inclination to leave her little paradise, persuaded Hansie to go to Johannesburg for a few days alone to a dear young friend, newly wed, who had repeatedly begged her to come. They hoped that such an attitude of innocent pleasure-making on their part would avert some of the suspicion which rested on their heads and cause a part, at least, of the surveillance to be withdrawn from Harmony. Hansie hoped to be back home before the appearance of the new moon, the time appointed for Naude's next visit, and it was red-tape, nothing but red-tape, through which she was undone. So many difficulties were placed in the way of her obtaining the necessary permits that by the time she got away she should have been on her return journey. Let us see what her diary says. "January 10th, Friday. "My poor old diary! I begin to foresee that it is going to die a natural death, simply because I am tired of recording lies and rumours [this was the black-and-white diary, kept on purpose to mislead the enemy, should it fall into their hands]. "I am now busy preparing for a little trip to Johannesburg, but oh dear! the difficulty one has in getting permits! "The English have never been so strict before! "Major Hoskins (who could have helped me without further reference had he wished) sent me to the Commissioner of Police, who asked me to produce a note of recommendation from my 'ward officer' in B. Ward. "My 'ward officer' refused to give me a permit without a medical certificate that I required a change of air.