Everybody was talking, and I expected to understand the whole of one side of it in a very little while.
I was disappointed.

There were singularities, perplexities, unaccountabilities about it which I was not able to master.

I had no personal access to Boers--their side was a secret to me, aside from what I was able to gather of it from published statements.

My sympathies were soon with the Reformers in the Pretoria jail, with their friends, and with their cause.

By diligent inquiry in Johannesburg I found out -- apparently--all the details of their side of the quarrel except one--what they expected to accomplish by an armed rising.
Nobody seemed to know.
The reason why the Reformers were discontented and wanted some changes made, seemed quite clear.