"That will not matter," replied Mr Raybold, dolefully. "Oom Paul has denied any hearing or trial for Chief Justice Kotze. He charged him with maladministration of justice, and swore in the Volksraad that he was a liar. When they can treat their own judges in this fashion, they are capable of hatching up any charge against you. However, we shall not have long to wait before we know." "I hope you won't pay any fines for us, sir," said Ned. "I am sure we would all rather go to hard labour, or whatever else they like to sentence us to." "We shall see," returned Mr Raybold, shaking his head sadly. "I wish this day had passed in peace, for tomorrow you would have been out of this tyrant's clutches." "We are sorry also in one way, but our resistance has not made much difference. I fancy Stephanus Groblaar has got up some story about us. I had a quarrel with him out on the veldt, and for some reason he seems to bear me ill-will." "Ah! tell me about that?" said Mr Raybold, quickly. Ned told him about the fight, and the words he had used on that occasion. "This is bad--very bad. They sentenced a man the other day to two years' hard labour for merely shouting on the Rand, `Nobody gets justice in this country.' What that fine speech of yours may cost us, with the additions which this young Groblaar may put to it, it is hard to say. Never mind. Keep up your courage, lads. Your friends will not leave you undefended; and we are all mighty proud of you for your pluck." Clarence took leave of his father very tenderly, while the others received warm hand-grasps. Then the Rand capitalist left them a good deal comforted by the interview. They did not know, but to be able to see them at all had cost Mr Raybold a tidy sum in the way of palm-oiling. Like the Eastern prisons, as in every other department of this Republican Government, corruption ran very high, from the President to the meanest official. On the following morning they were examined, and charged with a whole list of offences; then, after this preliminary farce was over, they were handcuffed and taken, closely guarded, to Pretoria to be tried. CHAPTER THIRTEEN. TRONK LIFE. Although our heroes had been brought up amidst the comforts and refinements of better-class English life, they were not fastidious.