The Raads had been dissolved, and the old President's last words had been a statement that war was certain, and a stern invocation of the Lord as final arbiter.

England was ready less obtrusively but no less heartily to refer the quarrel to the same dread Judge.
On October 2nd President Steyn informed Sir Alfred Milner that he had deemed it necessary to call out the Free State burghers--that is, to mobilise his forces.

Sir A.Milner wrote regretting these preparations, and declaring that he did not yet despair of peace, for he was sure that any reasonable proposal would be favourably considered by her Majesty's Government.

Steyn's reply was that there was no use in negotiating unless the stream of British reinforcements ceased coming into South Africa.

As our forces were still in a great minority, it was impossible to stop the reinforcements, so the correspondence led to nothing.