MY REBUFF. 73 



men in No. 8, with my compliments, and that I should be 

 glad to learn when it would be convenient for them to 

 receive a call from me. While I was exchanging a few 

 words with the gamekeeper, the coloured boy returned. 

 " Marssa, de genelmen ul see you instander," he informed 

 me, as he made a leg and pulled his woolly forelock with 

 his right hand ; so, preceded by him, and duly announced, 

 I entered. 



A small party of men of unquestionably British cut 

 were standing together before the spot where, in an 

 English room, the fireplace would have been. The centre 

 one stood with his feet wide apart, his left hand in his 

 trousers' pocket, and his right one extended with my paste- 

 board between its thumb and first finger. He bowed 

 stiffly, waved the hand holding my card towards a chair, 

 and said : " Mr. Er r r ; " then he glanced at the card 

 and addressed me properly: "take a chair, and state your 

 business with us." 



I took a chair. I expected they would all take chairs ; 

 but no, there they stood, with their backs to the wall, their 

 hands in their pockets, balancing themselves forward on 

 their toes, and then back again, and staring at me. I told 

 them in effect 1 had heard they were a party from England 

 on a sporting trip, and that I would never forgive myself 

 should they suffer disappointment or failure from want of 

 the information that could only be given by a person who 

 not only was a sportsman but acquainted with the country, 

 its people, the necessities of the case, and local resources 

 to meet them ; that I had not much time to spare, but. 

 could give them a few days to put them in right hands 5 



