198 THE GEEAT THIRST LAND. 



I can stand clean dirt as well as another : this re- 

 quires an explanation. I do not kick up a disturbance 

 because my chop or steak has fallen in the fire, and has 

 sundry ashes attached to it. I can stand that; but 

 dirty dirt, such as I had just witnessed upon my word, 

 I think I would sooner go without food altogether ! 

 That all Boers are as dirty as this I do not mean to 

 assert, but that many are is an indisputable fact. 



My sudden retreat from the dinner-table, any person 

 would have thought the termination of our acquaint- 

 ance ; not so my late host. He soon appeared, and 

 producing a bottle that could hold at least a quart and 

 a half, asked for some brandy, of which the old lady 

 was very fond, and for the want of which she was 

 suffering. 



The impudence, the brass of the man, was beyond 

 being amusing ; but as I did not want to part bad 

 friends with him, I filled his measure with Natal rum. 

 With this prize he walked off, and I gave orders for the 

 cattle to be put in the yoke forthwith. 



The boys obeyed my behest with alacrity, and were 

 doing their best to hasten our departure, when the 

 worthy Boer appeared again, gun in hand. With a 

 happy smile on his countenance one that the casual 

 observer would believe to denote that he was the most 

 hospitable man in the world, and had not an enemy 

 living he came up to me. Well, what do you think 

 he wanted but that I should give him one of my beau- 

 tiful rifles for his antediluvian flint-lock affair ! He 

 loved me so much that he insisted on an exchange ; it 

 was no use arguing, I must do it. Of course I refused ; 

 but the more did so, the more energetic he became. 

 At last I could stand it no longer, but made my shoe- 



