BELIEF IN GHOSIs. 345 



Hereupon the stranger turned to me and said in 

 few, but pointed words, " If you don't believe in 

 ghosts, I do. Yes ! smile if you like. I am not 

 ashamed to own it ; and the place where I became 

 converted to a belief in the supernatural is not above 

 four hours by horse from this spot. Disbelieve it ! 

 how could I ? and my after-rider saw it as well as 

 myself, while old Erasmus Swartz and his vrow, 

 with their folks, have seen it many times. 



" Come, if you don't want to turn in yet, make 

 the niggers put some more wood on the fire ; give 

 me another sottpje of square-face in my beaker, and 

 after I load up my pipe I'll tell you the yarn. Be- 

 lieve me or not, as you like, it matters nothing to 

 me ; but I shall remember and believe what I am 

 about to tell you to my dying day. 



" About this time last year I was buying cattle 

 in an adjoining part of the country, and had occasion 

 to call at Uncle Erasmus Swartz's house. The 

 weather had been fearfully warm, without a breath of 

 air stirring. All Nature seemed affected by the 

 oppression, even the very cattle stood listless 

 chewing their cud, absolutely refusing to leave the 

 shelter of the homestead and cattle kraal. When 

 I got up to bid the old folks good-bye, the old vrow 

 said, ' You had best stay where you are, there's a 

 storm coming, and a pretty "testy" one it will be 

 while it lasts.' 



" But I had business to attend to elsewhere on 



