Good-bye to October. 295 



ing some signs of emotion on his ugly, honest face, when I 

 took my last look on it, framed in the window of a third-class 

 railway carriage. But he only grinned, happily though 

 affectionately at me. And then I began slowly to understand 

 that I had at last met a man who was not a hyprocrite, and 

 the worst of it was that I was obliged to part from him a few 

 seconds after I had made this astounding discovery ; for the 

 station-master, at that moment, was waving his flag for the 

 engine-driver to start. * Good baas ; always good baas,' said 

 October, waving his hand to me. And then the train bore 

 him slowly off into the ewigkeit : as far as I was concerned. I 

 believe that he was very fond of me, in his own way, and that 

 he bore me no ill-will for my supposed treachery in wanting 

 to carry him off into bondage. 



I felt remarkably well after all the hard physical work I 

 had gone through during the six months we had spent in South 

 Africa, the dry, warm climate of which did my chest a great 

 deal of good. For about a year before going out to the Cape 

 I suffered so much from bronchitis, that I had feared that my 

 air passages would become chronically affected. Though more 

 than double that time has elapsed since we left that country, 

 my lungs and their tubes continue to remain in perfect order. 

 When the locality has been judiciously selected, the climate 

 of South Africa, in many cases, offers much benefit to sufferers 

 from chest ailments. If very dry and bracing air be needed, 

 Harrismith (for choice) or Charlestown might be selected ; as 

 they are over 5000 feet above the level of the sea. The 

 altitude of Bloemfontein is nearly as great. If a warmer, 

 though also a dry, climate be required, I know no place more 

 suitable or convenient than Craddock. 



We had a pleasant journey home on board the Union 

 ss. Tartar. 



