There we freely discussed our visitors, and were having a cheery conversation, when I suddenly looked up, and round the corner of the verandah saw the unsteady form of a typical Boer--slouch hat, bandolier, and rifle, complete--staggering towards us, truly a weird apparition.

The rising moon shining on the rifle-barrel made it glitter like silver.

I confess I disappeared round the corner to my room with more haste than dignity.
To Boers by daytime, when sober, I had by now become accustomed, but at night, after liberal doses of "dop," armed with a loaded rifle, I preferred their room to their company.

Luckily, Mr.Lamb was equal to the occasion, and persuaded Dietrich to return to his quarters, in spite of his assurance that he (Dietrich) "was the man who watched, and who did not sleep." With the morning arrived nine or ten more, including the newly-appointed _Veldtcornet_, by name De Koker, who had been lately convicted of sheep-stealing.

After a long idle morning and more refreshments, they all adjourned to the living-room, where, with much difficulty, one of them stumbled through the reading of a printed proclamation, which enacted that "This country now being part of the Transvaal, the residents must within seven days leave their homes or enrol themselves as burghers." Nothing was mentioned about fighting, so all there complied with what was required--namely, to sign their names on a blank sheet of paper.