450 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



lioff, a miserable village of a dozen houses. Here I 

 was attacked by a fellow who was a deserter from the 

 36th Eegiment. He was assisted by three or four other 

 scoundrels. Well, they between them pommelled me into 

 a cocked-hat (any decent boy at home could have done 

 so then), drove the post-cart off without me, and stole 

 my watch, chain, and money, thus leaving me 150 

 miles to trudge on foot, without food, and all the 

 surrounding coppies covered with snow; but I did it. 

 Exhausted, footsore, and dirty, I entered Kimberly just 

 as people were leaving afternoon service on Sunday. 

 All stared at me and looked surprised. At this I could 

 not be astonished, for when had such a tatterdemalion 

 been seen before ? However, a cab passed : I hailed it. 

 Jarvey asked me politely to show him the colour of my 

 money. As I was unable to do this, he looked for 

 another fare. 



A second cab I called. " You bees a rummy look- 

 ing cove to ride in a conve'ance," said he ; and I agreed 

 with him there and then. " Take me to the ' Car- 

 narvon/ at Dutoitspan." A quarter of an hour landed 

 me at that establishment, but, would you believe it, 

 they would not admit me till I gave my name ! As 

 soon as their request was complied with, clothes, food, 

 wine, tobacco were all forthcoming. The cabby looked 

 at me now with even more surprise. He had a glass 

 of champagne at my expense, then got into his seat, 

 meditatively pulled on his gloves, slowly took the reins 

 in his hand, and said sotto voce, "Who would have 

 thought it!" 



That cabman was in the habit of coming to see me 

 daily after this little episode, and more than that, he 

 blacked my boots unbidden, and brushed my clothes. 



