the days of my life

第17部分 (第3/7頁)

at　Pretoria　was　very　gay　during　this　Annexation　period。　We　gave　a　ball；　followed　on　the　next　evening　by　a　children’s　party；　the　President　entertained　us　to　lunch。　The　English　in　the　town　gave　us　a　great　dinner　in　the　Volksraad　Zaal　at　which　“God　save　the　Queen”　was　sung　with　enthusiasm；　and　there　were　many　other　entertainments。

But　underneath　all　these　festivities　grave　issues　were　maturing。　Shortly　after　our　arrival　four　hundred　and　fifty　Boers　rode　into　the　town　with　the　object　of　putting　us　back　over　the　border。　They　were　unarmed；　but　we　discovered　that　they　had　left　their　rifles　hidden　in　waggons　not　far　away　and　guarded　by　a　hundred　and　fifty　men。　If　they　really　had　any　such　intention；　however；　it　evaporated　after　they　had　proceeded　to　the　Government　offices　to　ask　what　the　English　were　doing　in　Pretoria　and　hoisted　their　flag　in　the　Market　Square。　Then　they　talked　a　while　and　went　away。　One　man；　I　remember；　either　on　this　or　another　occasion　came　and　stood　before　the　English　flag　which　marked　our　camp；　and　shouted；　“O　Father；　O　Grandfather；　O　Great…grandfather；　rise　from　the　dead　and　drive　away　those　red…handed　wretches　who　have　e　to　take　our　land　from　us；　the　land　which　we　took　from　the　Swartzels　（black　creatures）！”

Then　he　made　a　somewhat　feeble　rush　for　the　said　flag；　but　was　collared　by　his　friends　and　taken　off；　still　apostrophising　his　ancestors。　It　all　sounds　very　mock…heroic　and　absurd；　and　yet　I　repeat　that　there　was　much　to　justify　this　attitude　of　the　Boers。　After　all　they　had　taken　the　land　and　lived　there　nearly　forty　years；　and　the　British　Government　had　more　or　less　guaranteed　their　independence。　Of　course　circumstances　alter　cases；　and；　as　they　could　not　govern　themselves　and　were　about　to　plunge　South　Africa　into　a　bloody　war；　our　in