It was astonishing
indeed to think that such a plan should have been conceived and carried
out by a lad no older than some of their junior midshipmen, and assisted
by only three others of the same age.
"The day before we started," the doctor said, "I saw in one of the
Durban papers a telegram from Lorenzo Marques saying that there had been
an explosion at Komati-poort, where a few waggons had been injured and
two natives killed, but that the Boers had suffered in any way, and that
the damage would be repaired and the line opened for traffic in a few
hours."
"There is only one word of truth in that, sir," Chris said smiling, "and
that is that no Boers suffered. I am convinced that is strictly true,
for the eight Boers at the bridge were certainly instantaneously killed;
and of the natives, whom I am sorry for, there were certainly eighteen
killed, together with some eight or ten Portuguese employes. If I could
by any possibility have got the natives out of the way I would have done
so. As to the Portuguese I do not feel any great regret, for I believe
all the officials in the custom-house on the railway are bribed by the
Boers to break the official orders they receive as to observing strict
neutrality, and aid in every way in passing the materials of war into
the Transvaal.
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