After that our expedition went from bad to worse.
The atmosphere was too solemn to put a practicalquestion like that. Good talk is not
for reproduction in cold print.
Now the Kaffir is the most superstitious of
Godscreatures. Most likely hes apriest of sorts, and if youre not civil to him well
have to quitthis country. I could see the hobbled mules,but I could see nothing of
any of our outfit. Butfor my purpose the place looked promising.
I had only one white companion, a boy of twenty-two
called AndrewDu Preez. Atthat moment there was nothing in the world I wanted so much
as tomake restitution. But first Isaw that my revolver was loaded, for I fancied
that there might betrouble. The atmosphere was too solemn to put a practicalquestion
like that.
Our road was over the Wood Bush, and then
north-eastacross the two Letabas to the Pufuri river.
However at last I got a sortof story out of
him.
We spent a giddy five days before I planted Andrew
in hospital atLourenço Marques.
We did not carry clinical thermometers inthose
days, but he certainly had fever on him.
I had only one white companion, a boy of twenty-two
called AndrewDu Preez.
So it has been with the institutionof which I am
the chronicler.
A wildebeest is not ornamentalat the best, but a
green one must be a good recipe for the horrors.
I havent ascrap of real superstition in me, but I
hate crossing a river atnight.
The best thing I could do seemedto be to try and
patch up a peace with the water merchant. Hes the kind of grafter Iwould like to
interview with a sjambok.
Inoticed that there were very few young men about
the place, but aninordinate number of old women. We did not carry clinical
thermometers inthose days, but he certainly had fever on him.
Wronghas been done, and on the wrong-doer must fall
the penalty.
It was with a good deal of trepidation that I
entered that uncannyenceinte. Copyright laws are changing all over the world. I
fancy a lot of my blackguard ancestors got scuppered atmoonlight fords. Also our
boys did notreturn, and not a soul in the kraal would come near us. I had been
scared by the boysbehaviour the first two days. I had heard of native chiefs keeping
tameleopards. He wouldlay down his pipe, and press his hand on his forehead like a
manwith a bad headache. THE LOATHLY OPPOSITE: MAJOR OLIVER PUGHS
STORYVII.
Asit happened I had no chance just then of sending
a telegram, andlater I forgot about it. I found Andrew in our tent, and the kettle I
had put on to boilempty and the fire out.
Andrewwas a hard young sceptic, in whom the family
piety produced acuteexasperation.
It sounded to me very thin, and the jury didnot
believe it, for their verdict was wilful murder.
But that night they seemed to have been really
impressed bysomething.