V 



masterful and over-riding. He gave his orders with 

 the curtness of a drill sergeant and the rude assurance 

 of a "savage chief. Walking, he walked his course, 

 giving way for none of them. At the outspan or on the 

 road or footpath he shouldered them aside as one walks 

 through standing corn, not aggressively but with the 

 superb indifference of right and habit unquestioned. 

 If one, loitering before him, blocked his way unseeing, 

 there was no pause or step aside just " Suka ! " (" Get 

 out ") and a push that looked effortless enough but 

 sent the offender staggering ; or, if he had his sticks, 

 more likely a smart whack on the stern that was still 

 more surprising ; and not even the compliment of 

 a glance back from Jim as he stalked on. He was like 

 the old bull in a herd he walked his course ; none 

 molested and none disputed ; the way opened before 

 him. 



When sober Jim spoke Zulu ; when drunk, he broke 

 into the strangest and most laughable med- 

 ley of kitchen-Kaffir, bad Dutch, and worse 

 English the idea being, in part to consider 

 our meaner intelligences and in part to 

 show what an accomplished linguist he 

 was. There was no difficulty in knowing 

 when Jim would go wrong : he broke 

 out whenever he got a chance, whether 

 at a kraal, where he could always quicken 

 the reluctant hospitality of any native, 

 at a wayside canteen, or in a town. 

 Money was fatal he drank it all out ; 

 but want of money was no security, for 



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