He was interrupted by the footsteps of a new arrival—a boy called Curry this time—with an official document from which he read us the information that we had just received viva voce. We were instructed that the place was now under martial law, and that every one must explicitly obey the word of the Commandant or take the consequences. Furthermore, we were all to be in laager before sundown every evening. After reading his document very grandly Mr Curry invited himself to a cup of tea, which he swallowed hastily. He then departed in a bustling manner and the doctor followed in his wake. We were left to cogitate upon the charms of laager.
“Frightfully jolly!” said Anna Cleeve. “To be penned in every night with a lot of women and old men and screaming babies. I wish I had hung on to the back of Connie Brand’s cart.”
We had heard that morning of the latter’s safe arrival with Judy in Salisbury.
“It’ll be just as bad in Salisbury,” said Mrs Valetta gloomily. Mrs Skeffington-Smythe was rapidly making a calculation of the likely accommodation in the laager.
“There’s the court-house room, and the R.M.’s office, and the postmaster’s den behind the post-office—yes, and the Mining Commissioner’s room and that other little den behind the Magistrate’s office—the N.C.’s room. I suppose every one will crowd into the big court-room—thank Heaven I brought down my tent; we’ll have it pegged out in the yard, Anna, and lace ourselves in at night and be perfectly cool and comfy.”
“E’um!” agreed Anna, whose thoughts were obviously elsewhere.
“And if you secure the N.C.’s office, Mrs Valetta, we shall have a retiring-room as well for the evenings. I don’t see why we should have such a bad time after all.”
“It’s six o’clock now,” said Mrs Valetta. “I should think we had better begin to collect our things and make arrangements, shouldn’t you, Miss Saurin?”
I agreed, and Mrs Skeffington-Smythe stirred, but Anna Cleeve pushed her back into her place.
“Oh, not yet, not yet. What’s the use of rushing? There’s tons of time. Let’s talk things over.”