第31部分(第6/7 頁)

olley　had　undertaken　his　fatal　movement　without　advising　his　base。

I　cannot　tell　again　the　horrible　story　of　Majuba。　Afterwards　Colonel　Mitchell　told　me　the　tale　of　what　was　happening　at　Government　House　in　Maritzburg。　Into　the　office　where　I　used　to　sit　the　messages　poured　down　from　Majuba；　reporting　its　occupation　and　the　events　which　followed　as　they　occurred。　So　to　speak；　Majuba　was　in　that　room。　As　each　wire　arrived　it　was　his　duty　to　take　it　to　Lady　Colley　in　another　part　of　the　house。　At　length　came　a　pause　and　then　a　telegram　of　two　words：　“Colley　dead；”　and　then　—　nothing　more。

This　message　too　Colonel　Mitchel　must　take　to　the　chamber　where　the　wife　sat　waiting。　He　said　that　she　would　not　believe　it；　also　that　it　was　the　most　dreadful　moment　of　his　life。

In　one　of　the　letters　published　in　Butler’s　Life　of　Colley；　he　writes　to　his　wife　that　his　good　luck　was　so　great　and　so　continuous　that　it　caused　him　to　be　afraid。　Not　in　vain　was　he　afraid；　for　can　anything　be　more　tragic　than　this　man’s　history！　One　of　Wolseley’s　darlings；　every　advancement；　every　honour　was　heaped　upon　him。　At　last　Fortune　offered　to　him　a　soldier’s　supreme　opportunity；　and　he　used　it　thus！　Had　he　been　content　to　wait；　it　was　said　at　the　time　—　and　I　for　one　believe　—　that　the　Boers　would　have　melted　away。　Or；　if　they　did　not；　he　would　soon　have　found　himself　at　the　head　of　a　force　that　might　have　manded　victory。　He　would　have　bee　one　of　the　greatest　generals　in　the　Empire；　and　the　history　of　South　Africa　would　have　been　changed；　for　it　was　only　defeat　that　brought　about　the　Retrocession。　But　he　had　theories　and　he　lacked　patience。　Or　perhaps　Destiny　drove　him　on。　In　only　one　thing　was　it　kind　to　him。　It　did　not　leave　him　living　to　contemplate　his　own　ruin　and　the　disho