The State's Model School--Rev. Adrian Hoffmeyer--The Waterfall Prisoners--A Soldier's Hymn--A big Supper Party-- The Soldiers' Home--Mr and Mrs Osborn Howe--A Letter from Lord Kitchener--Also from Lord Roberts--A Song in praise of De Wet--Cordua and his Conspiracy--Hospital Work in Pretoria --The Wear and Tear of War--The Nursing Sisters--A Surprise Packet--Soldierly Gratitude--_The Ladysmith Lyre_. CHAPTER XI FROM PRETORIA TO BELFAST 169 The Boer way of saying "Bosh"--News from a far Country --Further fighting--Touch not, taste not, handle not--More Treachery and still more--The root of the matter--A Tight Fit --Obstructives on the Rail--Middleburg and the Doppers-- August Bank Holiday--Blowing up Trains--A peculiar Mothers' Meeting--Aggressive Ladies--A Dutch Deacon's Testimony--A German Officer's Testimony. CHAPTER XII THROUGH HELVETIA 190 The Fighting near Belfast--Feeding under Fire--A German Doctor's Confession--Friends in need are Friends indeed--The Invisible Sniper's Triumph--"He sets the mournful Prisoners free"--More Boer Slimness--A Boer Hospital--Foreign Mercenaries--A wounded Australian--Hotel Life on the Trek-- A Sheep-pen of a Prison--Pretty Scenery and Superb. CHAPTER XIII WAR'S WANTON WASTE 210 A Surrendered Boer General--Two Unworthy Predikants--Two Notable Advocates of Clemency--Mines without Men, and Men without Meat--Much Fat in the Fire--More Fat and Mightier Flames--A Welcome Lift by the Way--"Rags and Tatters, get ye gone!"--Destruction and still more Destruction--At Koomati Poort--Two Notable Fugitives--The Propaganda of the Africander Bond--Ex-President Steyn--Paul Botha's opinion of this Ex-President. CHAPTER XIV FROM PORTUGUESE AFRICA TO PRETORIA 231 Staggering Humanity--Food for Flames--A Crocodile in the Koomati--A Hippopotamus in the Koomati--A Via Dolorosa-- Over the Line--Westward Ho!--Ruined Farms and Ruined Firms-- Farewell to the Guards' Brigade! CHAPTER XV A WAR OF CEASELESS SURPRISES 245 Exhaustlessness of Boer resources--The Peculiarity of Boer Tactics--The Surprisers Surprised--Train Wrecking--The Refugee Camps--The Grit of the Guards--The Irregulars--The Testimony of the Cemetery--Death and Life in Pretoria. CHAPTER XVI PRETORIA AND THE ROYAL FAMILY 261 Suzerainty turned to Sovereignty--Prince Christian Victor--A Royal Funeral--A Touching Story--The Death of the Queen-- The King's Coronation. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER THE ULTIMATUM AND WHAT LED TO IT