At first I was ordered to Kanya, a mission-station some seventy miles away, an oasis in the Kalahari Desert.

This plan gave rise to a paragraph which I afterwards saw in some of the daily papers, that I had left Mafeking under the escort of a missionary, and some cheery spirit made a sketch of my supposed departure as reproduced here.

Later on, however, it was thought provisions might run short in that secluded spot, so I was told to proceed to Setlagoli, a tiny store, or hotel as we should call it, with a shop attached, thirty-five miles south in Bechuanaland, on the main road to Kimberley, from which quarter eventually succour was expected.
My few preparations completed, I simply had to sit down and wait for daybreak, sleep being entirely out of the question.

In the night the wind increased, and howled mournfully round the house.

At four o'clock, when day was about to break, I was ready to start, and some farewells had to be said.