A CAPTURE 129 



was certain the whole thing would fizzle out 

 ingloriously. 



It was a question what we were to do with W.-S. 

 As we could neither watch him ourselves nor, of 

 course, put him in the charge of a native, we gave 

 him his parole and left him with his rifles in 

 charge of the camp at Bush-rangers' Rest, with 

 orders to make as much biltong as he could 

 for us. In point of fact, he could hardly run 

 away, and would have been very foolish to have 

 attempted it. As it turned out, he kept his parole 

 very loyally, and was of great assistance later on 

 when shifting camp, etc. Like most of his people, 

 he was a fine hand with a wagon or oxen, a first- 

 class shot, and an excellent all-round man in the 

 bush. Tall and straight in appearance, he was 

 a manly chap too, and altogether it was a pity 

 to see a man like that mixed up with the rebel 

 crowd. 



