indignation does not usually take a violent form--he simply clears
out. He may be somewhat different where the Transvaal is concerned--he
may be indignant, but he has no intention in this instance of adopting
the procedure of his forefathers. The latter had not yet dropped into
an inheritance glittering with gold; they were merely agriculturists,
and they desired pastures of their own. Some of them found desirable
pastures in the barren wastes of the Free State, and subsequently the
majority wended their way to the Transvaal.

It is not, of course, my intention to reiterate history. History is
good enough when it is new, but I should only be covering ground which
is already familiar to most readers. My purpose is to present glimpses
of the Boer as he is to-day.




CHAPTER II


The Boers are very much like the Scotch--they are clannish. Every Boer
has a solid belief in himself, to begin with, and every Boer has a
profound belief in his brother. This characteristic has many
advantages: it not only welds a people together, it is a sufficient
guarantee of success in times of trouble and difficulty, and it has
stood the Boer in good stead. He likes to tell you that no difficulty
is insurmountable in his eyes--nay, further, he does not believe in
the existence of any difficulty which he is not competent to overcome.
Rumours of trouble with natives do not appal him, because he knows
before he slings his gun over his shoulder that he is going forth to