Steve shook his head, saying,—
‘No, old man, if everybody were to say that, and want to enjoy their New Year festivities before responding to their country’s call, then Jameson would have an easy march to Johannesburg. No, I must go. The only question is, How? Will you fellows go too, or will you stay and let me have the mule waggon to the station, then I can send it back to you, and you can stay here and have the full benefit of your holiday.’
‘No, Steve, if go you must, I go too,’ said Keith.
‘And I will go too. If there is going to be excitement on, we might as well be at hand and see what is going on?’ said Harrison. ‘As to fighting, I do not yet know what I shall do personally, but one thing I am sure of, I am not going to fight against the Boers. If they have to be suppressed, I will take no hand in it, while I may yet decide to fight with them; for if they are really invaded in this back-handed, treacherous way, the sympathy of all right-minded people ought to go with them.’
‘Well, if we are to go, the sooner the better,’ said Keith, responding kindly to Steve’s wishes.
The driver was called, and told to get the mules and inspan at once, while the rest of the party busied themselves in getting everything packed and ready for their departure.
Steve’s cousin was not consulted as to his willingness to leave or not; he was in the minority and had to accept the decision arrived at; he was sulking on one side, refusing to render assistance in the preparations for leaving. He was undecided what to do; he was not quite sure yet whether the Boers were going to lose or not, so he thought he would keep quiet a little longer, and see in which way matters tended. No notice was taken of him by the others.
In a short time the driver’s assistant arrived with a message to the effect that the mules were lost and must have strayed away. The driver had gone farther to search for them. Steve was in despair.
‘My God!’ he cried, ‘what have I done that this should come to me? Would that I had never left Pretoria, then I might at least have been able to do something.’
‘Keith, come with me like a good fellow and help me to bribe Nande into selling or hiring me a horse. I must get away.’