Thin-faced man. Not much like ours! Why, there's a lady staying here that's friendly with his daughters, and she went out to see them the other day, and the old man said they'd stop here and sjam—
Fat man. Gentlemen, drinks all round! Here's success to the British arms!
All. Success to the British arms!
Thick-set man. And may the British Government not desert us again!
Fat man. I'll take a shade of odds about it. They will. I've no trust in Chamberlain. It'll be just the same as it was in '81. A few reverses and you'll find they'll begin to talk about terms. I know them. Every loyal man in South Africa knows them. (General murmur of assent.)
Hotel-keeper. Gentlemen, drinks all round! Here's success to the British arms!
All. Success to the British arms!
Thick-set man. And where are the British arms? Where's the Army Corps? Has a man of that Army Corps left England? Shilly-shally, as usual. South Africa's no place for an Englishman to live in. Armoured train blown up, Mafeking cut off, Kimberley in danger, and General Butler—what? Oh yes—General Buller leaves England to-day. Why didna they send the Army Corps out three months ago?
Brown-faced man. It's six thousand miles—
Thick-set man. Why didna they send them just after the Bloemfontein conference, before the Boers were ready? British Gov—