I nearly always paid him off in live stock or sheep : 

 he had good wages, and for many months at a time 

 would draw no money ; the boy was a splendid worker 

 and as true as steel ; so that, in spite of all the awful 

 worry I had a soft spot for Jim and had taken a good 

 deal of trouble on his account. He got his pay at 

 the end of the trip or the season, but not in cash. It 

 was invested for him greatly to his disgust at the time, 

 I am bound to say in live stock, so that he would not 

 be able to squander it in drink or be robbed of it while 

 incapable. 



Jim's gloomy dignity was colossal when it came to 

 squaring up and I invited him to state what he wished 

 me to buy for him. To be treated like an irresponsible 

 child ; to be chaffed and cheerfully warned by me ; 

 to be met by the giggles and squirts of laughter of the 

 other boys, for whom he had the most profound con- 

 tempt ; to see the respectable Sam counting out with 

 awkward eager hands and gleaming eyes the good red 

 gold, while he, Makokela the Zulu, was treated like 

 a piccanin Ugh ! It was horrible ! Intolerable ! 



Jim would hold aloof in injured gloomy silence, not 

 once looking at me, but standing sideways and staring 

 stonily past me into the far distance, and not relaxing 

 for a second the expression of profound displeasure 

 on his weather-beaten face. No joke or chaff, no 

 question or reason, would move him to even look 

 my way. All he would do was, now and again, 

 give a click of disgust, a quick shake of the head, 

 and say : " Aug ! Ang-a-funa ! " (" I do not desire 

 it ! ") 

 43 



