the days of my life-第23章
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was largely posed of English folk or of those who were not unsympathetic。 After this ceremony was pleted the ex…President Burgers’ formal protest； of which the draft had already been submitted to the missioner and approved by him； was also read； and received respectfully but in silence。 The text of these historical documents can be studied in the Blue…books of the day； if anybody ever reads an old Blue…book； so I will not dwell upon them here。
I recall that after everything was over it became my duty to deliver copies of the Proclamation； and of another document under which Sir Theophilus assumed the office of Administrator of the new Government； at the various public offices。 In front of one of these offices — I remember its situation but not which one of them it was — was gathered a crowd of sullen…looking Boers who showed no disposition to let me pass upon my business。 I looked at them and they looked at me。 I advanced； purposing to thrust my way between two of them； and as still they would not let me pass I trod upon the foot of one of them； half expecting to be shot as I did so； whereon the man drew back and let me go about my duty。 It was insolent； I admit； and had I been an older man probably I should have withdrawn and left the Proclamation undelivered。 But I do not think that the incident was without its effect； for it did not pass unobserved。 I was but one young fellow facing a hostile crowd which had gathered in the remoter spaces of the square； but for the moment I was the representative of England； and I felt that if I recoiled before their muttered threats and oaths； inferences might be drawn。 Therefore I went on。 Whatever happened to me I was determined to deliver my Proclamation as I had been ordered to do； or to fail because I must。
My colleague； Major Clarke； had to deal with the same difficulty； but on a much more heroic scale。 The story as he told it to me afterwards is as follows。 He was sent down to take mand of the filibustering volunteers at Leydenburg。 Arriving at the largest fort with only his Zulu servant； Lanky Boy； for an aide…decamp； he at once ordered the Republican flag to be hauled down and the Union Jack to be hoisted； which order； somewhat to his astonishment； was promptly obeyed。 A day or two afterwards； however； the volunteers repented them of their surrender； and arrived in his tent to shoot him。 Clarke fixed the eyeglass he always wore in his eye； looked at them steadfastly through it； waved his one arm and remarked in his rich Irish accent； “You are all drunk。 Go away。” So they went。
This Lanky Boy； a jolly； open…faced Kaffir； was a good stick to lean on at a pinch。 Once two natives waylaid Clarke； but Lanky Boy killed them both and saved his life。
After the Annexation things settled down rapidly； and when； some three weeks later； the 1st Battalion of the 13th Regiment marched into Pretoria with the band playing； it was extremely well received both there and all along the road。 On May 24th； Queen Victoria’s birthday； the British flag was formally hoisted at Pretoria in the presence of a large gathering of English； Boers and natives。 The band played “God save the Queen；” the artillery boomed a salute； and at midday precisely； amidst the cheers of the crowd； Colonel Brooke； R。E。； and I ran up the flag to the head of the lofty staff。 I think that Brooke lifted it from the ground and broke it and that I did the actual hoisting； but of these details I am not quite sure； it may have been the other way about。 In view of what followed it ought to have stuck half…way； but it did not。 It was a proud moment for me and for all of us； but could we have foreseen what was to happen in the future we should have felt less jubilant。
In one of the newly discovered letters to my mother； written from Government House； Pretoria； on June 17； 1877； I find an allusion to this hoisting of the flag。 I say：
We have Sir A。 Cunynghame； K。C。B。； stopping with us now； he starts for Leydenburg next Friday for shooting。 On the same day the Chief starts for Potchefstroom and Lichtenburg； and will be away about five weeks。 Mr。 Henderson； Chairman of the Finance mittee； will be left alone with myself here。 It will be a melancholy reduction of our large party。 We are now awaiting with great anxiety to hear how the Annexation has been received。 I suppose that the war9 has drawn most of the attention from this business。 It will be some years before people at home realise how great an act it has been； an act without parallel。 I am very proud of having been connected with it。 Twenty years hence it will be a great thing to have hoisted the Union Jack over the Transvaal for the first time。
My absence； which I remember we set down at five years at the most； is likely to be a long one now； my dearest Mother。 The break from all home and family ties and the sense of isolation are very painful； more painful than those who have never tried them know。
Chapter 6 LIFE IN THE TRANSVAAL
H。 R。 H。 appointed Master of the High Court at age of twenty…one — Boers very litigious — Fleeced by lawyers — H。 R。 H。 reforms practice and taxes bills — Much opposition — H。 R。 H。 supported by Judge Kotze — Boer revolt expected — Zulu War threatened — H。 R。 H。 builds house with Cochrane — Jess’s cottage — Sir Bartle Frere — Zulu War — Isandhlwana — Shepstone returns home — Treated shabbily by Government — H。 R。 H。 joins Pretoria Horse — Elected Adjutant — Ordered to Zululand — Orders countermanded — Regiment to defend Pretoria against possible Boer revolt — H。 R。 H。 sent in mand of detachment to watch force of 3000 Boers — Exciting incidents but war postponed — Sir Bartle Frere at Pretoria — Estimate of his character — Anthony Trollope — Journeys on circuit with Judge Kotze — Herd of blesbuck — Pretoria Horse disbanded — H。 R。 H。 resigns Mastership of High Court — Buys farm in Natal with Cochrane to breed ostriches。
Not very long after the Annexation the Master and Registrar of the High Court died； and after some reflection the Government appointed me to act in his place。 It is not strange that they should have hesitated； seeing that I was barely twenty…one years of age and had received no legal training。 Moreover in those days the office was one of great importance。
To put it mildly； the lawyers who frequented the Transvaal courts were not the most eminent of their tribe。 Indeed some of them had e thither because of difficulties that had attended their careers in other lands。 Thus one of them was reported to have mitted a murder and to have fled from the arm of justice。 Another subsequently became notorious in connection with the treatment of the loyal prisoners at the siege of Potchefstroom。 He was fond of music； and it is said that before two of these unfortunate men were executed； or rather murdered； he took them into a church and soothed their feelings by playing the “Dead March in Saul” over them。 He； by the way； was the original of my character of Frank Muller in “Jess。” Even those of the band who had nothing against them were tainted by a mon fame： they all overcharged。 It was frequently their practice to open their bill of costs with an item of fifty guineas set down as “retaining fee；” and this although they were not advocates but attorneys who were allowed to plead。
In those days the Boers were extraordinarily litigious； it to spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds over the question of the ownership of a piece of land that was worth little。 So it came about that before the Annexation they were most mercilessly fleeced by the lawyers into whose hands they fell。 This was the situation which I was called upon to face。 Also as Master I held another important office； that of the official Guardian of the estates of all the orphans in the Transvaal。
I entered on my duties with fear and trembling； but very soon grasped the essential facts of the case。 One of the first bills that was laid before me was for 600 pounds。 I taxed it down by one…half。 Then； either over this or some other bill； the row began。 The lawyers petitioned against me without avail。 They appealed against my decision to the High Court； again without avail； for Mr。 Justice Kotze supported me。 For a whole day was that bill argued in court； with the result that I was ultimately ordered to restore an amount of； I think； six and eightpence！
Considerable percentage fees were payable to Government on these taxed bills； and for a while I trusted to those who presented the bills to hand over these sums to the Treasury。 By an accident I discovered that this was not always done。 So I invented a system of stamps which had to be affixed to the bill before I signed it。 In short the struggle was long and arduous； but in the end I won the day； with the result that I and my flock became the best of friends。 I think that when I left them they were sincerely sorry。 I remember that in one case； a very important divorce action which occupied the court for more than a week； the petition was dismissed not because the adultery was not proved but on the ground of collusion。 Of this collusion the parties were innocent； but the evidence showed that the petitioner’s solicitor had actually drafted some of the pleas for the defendant’s solicitor and in other ways h
