And so perhaps it was; we never knew for certain, for the difficulty of
applying the snuffers remained insuperable to the end. Numberless
missiles were shot at the searchlight, but its radiance was never dimmed
for a moment.

The most important of the thousand and one rumours circulated on Tuesday
was that a place called Jacobsdal had been taken by Methuen. We were not
pleased to hear it. Being anxious to give Kimberley away to his lordship
for nothing, we were at a loss to know why he should go out of his way
to lay hold of a town when a city offered. There were, however,
extenuating circumstances, in that a vast quantity of provisions had
been seized at Jacobsdal. Provisions were now in our eyes of greater
value than diamonds even! On Wednesday the _Advertiser_ corroborated the
rumour (_re_ Jacobsdal); it gave details of the whole brilliant
achievement, and sundry absorbing items anent the digestiveness of the
confiscated supplies. All this was highly interesting; but unfortunately
it was all untrue; it was discovered to be fiction. It was not the first
lie (not quite), but none other had been so quickly, so frankly exposed.
Our newspaper had been misinformed, and candidly told us so.

The De Beers directors, looking a little emaciated from anxiety rather
than want of nourishment, assembled in Stockdale Street to hold their
adjourned meeting. But the Column had not yet come in, the Chairman
announced. The public, who were growing sarcastic, opined that the
Kafirs imprisoned in the compounds knew it! Mr. Rhodes suitably
explained how sorry he was to disappoint again; the fault was not his;
he was not (he confided) in the confidence of Lord Methuen. A further
postponement was unavoidable, and the meeting dispersed for a week. The
period was significantly long.