In the afternoon we had the excitement of
seeing the Pretoria coach drive up to the laager with much horn-blowing
and whip-cracking. Later some newspapers were brought across, and I was
able actually to peruse a Transvaal paper only two days old. The
General's other secretary, who presented them to me, made some
astounding statements, which he said had just come up on official
wires--namely, that England and Russia would be at war before that very
week was out, in what locality he did not know; and that Germany had
suddenly increased her fleet by many ships, spending thereon
L10,000,000. To this I ventured to remark that the building of those
ships would take four or five years, which would make it almost too late
to assist the Transvaal in the present war. I also reminded him casually
that Germany's Emperor and Empress were, according to their own papers,
then paying a visit to Queen Victoria, which did not look as if that
country was exactly unfriendly to England. To this he had nothing to
reply, and I saw that this imperial visit was a sore subject with my
entertainers. For this reason I made a point of referring to it on every
possible occasion. As I was eating my solitary supper, Mr. Brink
appeared with a letter from Colonel Baden-Powell as follows:
"_December 5, 1899.
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