Kimberley during the siege, and the destruction wrought by these was
very great. Most of the churches suffered seriously. Many women and
children lost their lives. If there was any special function of any kind
in progress the Boers were almost sure to know about it and give it
their marked attention.

Bugle calls, taken up and repeated through the town, warned the people
of coming shells, and then they knew they had only fifteen seconds to
reach some place of shelter. Bomb-proof shelters were improvised, caves
were dug by the side of houses, and into these the inhabitants ran,
with more speed than ceremony, when those bugle notes were heard.

It was, however, felt unsafe to allow the women and children to remain
longer in the town, and by the kindness of the De Beers Company they
were lowered into the mines, and there for a full week they lived. Among
the rest the families of the Baptist and Wesleyan ministers were lowered
there. It happened that these two reverend gentlemen met in the street
shortly after the descent of their families, and on parting the Baptist
said to the Methodist--all unconscious of the suggestiveness of his
statement--'Good-bye, my friend; we shall soon meet again either above
or below!'

It was no laughing matter, however, to the thousands of women and
children living day and night in the mine tunnels some eight or twelve
thousand feet below the surface. Theirs was a pitiable condition, and
how much longer they could have held out had not help come it is
difficult to say.

All this time the Kimberley searchlight was night by night searching the
neighbourhood lest any Boers under cover of the darkness should approach