happened : he reckoned that it was " a pretty 

 near thing after the first shot ; but Bill's all right ! " 



To me it was an absurd and tiresome affectation 

 to show interest in any other topic, and when, during 

 that evening, conversation strayed to other subjects, 

 it seemed waste of time and priceless opportunity. 

 Bob responded good-naturedly to many crude attempts 

 to head them back to the entrancing theme, but the 

 professional interest in rates, loads, rivers, roads, 

 disease, drought, and * fly,' was strong in the older 

 transport-riders, as it should have been, but, for the 

 time at least, was not, in me. If diplomacy failed, 

 however, luck was not all out ; for when all the pet 

 subjects of the road had been thrashed out, and it 

 was about time to turn in, a stray question brought 

 the reward of patience. 



" Have you heard if Jim reached Durban all right ? " 



" Yes ! Safely shipped." 



" You got some one to take him right through ? " 



" No ! A Dutchman took him to Lydenburg, and 

 I got Tom Hardy, going back empty, to take him along 

 from there." 



" What about feeding ? " 



" I sent some goats," said Bob, smiling for a moment 

 at some passing thought, and then went on : " Tom 

 said he had an old span that wouldn't mind it. We 

 loaded him up at Parker's, and I cleared out before 

 he got the cattle up. But they tell me there was a 

 gay jamboree when it came toinspanning ; and 

 as soon as they got up to the other waggons and 

 the young bullocks winded Jim, they started 



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