As an additional mark of favour, the
Commander-in-Chief and his retinue gave the defender of Mafeking a
special send-off, riding with him and his officers some distance out of
the town. This procession was quite an imposing sight, and was preceded
by a company of turbaned Indians. Presently, riding alongside of General
Baden-Powell, on a small, well-bred Arab, came the hero of a thousand
fights, the man who at an advanced age, and already crowned with so many
laurels, had, in spite of a crushing bereavement, stepped forward to
help his country in the hour of need. We were delighted when this man of
the moment stopped to speak to us. He certainly seemed surprised at the
apparition of two ladies, and observed that we were very daring, and the
first of our sex to come in. I shall, however, never forget how kindly
he spoke nor the inexpressible sadness of his face. I told him how quiet
everything appeared to be along the road we had taken, and how civil
were all the Boers we had met. At this he turned to the guest whose
departure he was speeding, and said, with a grave smile, "That is
thanks to you, General." And then the cortege rode on. On reflection, I
decided, rather from what Lord Roberts had left unsaid than from his
actual words, that if we had asked leave to travel home via Pretoria, it
would have been refused.
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