enemy of all Shangaans, aching for an excuse to 



take a hand in the row himself was not, I fear, 

 very impartial judge. 



There was a day outside Barberton which I remem- 

 ber well. We were to start that evening, and knowing 

 that if Jim got into the town he might not be back 

 and fit to work for days, I made him stay with the 

 waggons. He lay there flat out under his waggon 

 with his chin resting on his arms, staring steadily at 

 the glistening corrugated iron roofs of the town, 

 as morose and unapproachable as a surly old watch- 

 dog. From the tent of my waggon I saw him raise 

 his head, and following his glance, picked out a row of 

 bundles against the sky-line. Presently a long string 

 of about fifty time-expired mine-boys came in sight. 

 Jim on his hands and knees scrambled over to where 

 Jock lay asleep, and shook him ; for this incident 

 occurred after Jock had become deaf. 



" Shangaans, Jock ; Shangaans ! Kill them ; kill, 

 kill, kill ! " said Jim in gusty ferocious whispers. It 

 must have seemed as if Fate had kindly provided an 

 outlet for the rebellious rage and the craving for a 

 fight that were consuming him. 



As Jock trotted out to head them off Jim reached 

 up to the buck-rails and pulled down his bundle of 

 sticks and lay down like a tiger on the spring. I had 

 had a lot of trouble with Jim that day, and this annoyed 

 me ; but my angry call to stop was unavailing. Jim, 

 pretending not to understand, made no attempt to 

 stop Jock, but contented himself with calling to him 

 to come back ; and Jock, stone deaf, trotted evenly 

 215 



