"'_Meinheer_' is very well for the Boers, but we are all Englishmen now.

Well, the ox can wait.

With your permission, I'll stop here till _Oom_ Croft (Uncle Croft) comes back," and, without further ado, he jumped off his horse and, slipping the reins over its head as an indication to it to stand still, advanced towards Bessie with an outstretched hand.

As he came the young lady plunged both her arms up to the elbow in the bath, and it struck John, who was observing the scene closely, that she did this in order to avoid the necessity of shaking hands with her stalwart visitor.
"Sorry my hands are wet," she said, giving him a cold little nod.

"Let me introduce you, Mr.( with emphasis) Frank Muller--Captain Niel--who has come to help my uncle with the place." John stretched out his hand and Muller shook it.
"Captain," he said interrogatively--"a ship captain, I suppose ?" "No," said John, "a Captain of the English Army." "Oh, a _rooibaatje_ (red jacket).