The Petticoat Commando: Boer Women in Secret ServiceBrandt, Johanna
History
The Petticoat Commando: Boer Women in Secret Service
Brandt, Johanna
South African War, 1899-1902; Women in war -- South Africa
This was glad news for the two men, and Hansie soon after took her
leave, promising to come back in the course of the morning with the
dynamite.
Her manner was rather mysterious, and she took some unnecessary turns,
to make sure of not being followed, before she reached the house
where the dangerous article had been hidden. There a brown-paper
parcel was handed to her with a brief, "Read the instructions and
destroy them," and she was left alone in a quiet drawing-room.
On opening the parcel she found a small bottle of yellowish powder,
ostensibly a remedy for colic, to be used in the way prescribed, and a
pot of paste purporting to be an excellent salve for chapped hands.
The two, when mixed together in a certain way, made up one pound of
dynamite and had passed safely through the hands of the inspector of
goods on the frontier.
As Hansie was cycling back to Mrs. Joubert's house with her precious
parcel, she had to pass the Military Governor's offices on Church
Square, and the thought occurred to her that this was a fitting
opportunity to interview General Maxwell regarding her tour of
inspection to the Concentration Camps, and at the same time to procure
a permit for the Vocal Society to hold a charity concert.
"Why not go in now?" she thought. "There is some fun in going to see
the Governor with one pound of dynamite in one's hands, and it would
save me the trouble of coming into town again. Another thing: if I
_am_ being watched or followed, I am sure there can be nothing like a
visit to Government Buildings to disarm the most suspicious."
Arrived at the Governor's office, she noticed with some amusement that
the urchin at the door wrote on the card, under her name, "Nature of
business: permission _to have a consort_." (This was indeed to come
later!)
The German Consul was engaged with General Maxwell and Hansie had a
long time to wait, and when at last she was shown in she found the
affable Governor in a very bad temper and his A.D.C., Major Hoskins,
looking anything but comfortable.
The former shook hands and greeted her with a curt, "Well, what is the
matter with you now?"
"That is very unkind of you, General," she said.
"Why?" he demanded.
"Oh, because it sounds as if I trouble you every day."
"Well," he answered, smiling slightly, "what can I do for you?"
"That's better, thank you," exclaimed Hansie cheerfully, and
straightway plunged into business.
With her mind dwelling on explosives and Secret Service men, she
reminded him of a promise he had given her soon after her return from
the Irene Camp, that she should visit all the Camps in the Transvaal
and write reports for him, to be sent to London if necessary, for
publication in the Blue books.
"I have come to arrange with you about my tour," she said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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