“Indeed!” said the colonel sternly. “This is not the Transvaal Republic, but a part of the British Dominions now; and remember that you all owe allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen-Empress, whose laws you have now sworn to obey.”
The man scowled.
“And if, as I was telling you, any of you are again found fighting against our troops, you will not be treated as people at war against us, but as rebels liable to be tried by a short drum-head court-martial, and shot out of hand. Do you understand?”
The man nodded.
“Make your companions fully understand it too.”
The Boer leader hesitated as if about to speak, but the colonel turned upon him sharply.
“Quick, sir,” he cried; “I have no time to waste. Tell your companions this, so that there may be no mistake.”
The man stepped back, and his followers pressed round him talking eagerly, several of them understanding English to some extent, and for a few minutes they conversed together excitedly, till, with a shrug of the shoulders, the principal Boer turned and advanced to the colonel.
“Well,” said the latter, “do they fully grasp all this?”
“Oh yes; they know,” replied the man sourly.