happened : he reckoned that it was " a pretty 

 near thing after the first shot ; but Bill's all right ! " 



To me it was an absurd and tiresome affectation . 

 to show interest in any other topic, and when, during , 

 that evening, conversation strayed to other subjects, 

 it seemed waste of time and priceless opportunity. 

 Bob responded good-naturedly to many crude attempts 

 to head them back to the entrancing theme, but the 

 professional interest in rates, loads, rivers, roads, 

 disease, drought, and * fly,' was strong in the older 

 transport-riders, as it should have been, but, for the 

 time at least, was not, in me. If diplomacy failed, 

 however, luck was not all out ; for when all the pet 

 subjects of the road had been thrashed out, and it 

 was about time to turn in, a stray question brought 

 the reward of patience. 



" Have you heard if Jim reached Durban all right ? " 



" Yes ! Safely shipped." 



" You got some one to take him right through ? " 



" No ! A Dutchman took him to Lydenburg, and 

 I got Tom Hardy, going back empty, to take him along 

 from there." 



" What about feeding ? " 



" I sent some goats," said Bob, smiling for a moment 

 at some passing thought, and then went on : " Tom 

 said he had an old span that wouldn't mind it. We 

 loaded him up at Parker's, and I cleared out before 

 he got the cattle up. But they tell me there was a ^ 

 gay jamboree when it came to inspanning ; and _-,.</ 

 as soon as they got up to the other waggons and 

 the young bullocks winded Jim, they started 



21 



