l62 



A Breath from the Veldt 



The last few days at Gong were not particularly pleasant. Every day some 

 one would come with the usual startling Matabele news, and I was afraid our 

 boys might leave us — a misfortune only too common when one has to trust to 

 natives. Happily for us, we were particularly lucky in our followers, or all 

 our plans might have been upset. I thought it well, however, to hurry on 

 Oom in the construction of the rough little waggon which he was making of 

 old wheels and poles of wood for our journey into the " fly " ; and as to the 



OOM ROELEFS OUTSPAN AT GONG 



boys, we iilled their bellies with good meat as the surest way to their hearts, 

 and continued to hope for the best. 



I was particularly fond of « Office," my Shangan boy, whose good-nature 

 and unvarymg cheerfulness was a treat even under the most depressing circum- 

 stances. One night, through Teenie, who speaks Zulu perfectly, I had a long 

 talk with him about his superstitions, beliefs, and past life. His ideas about 

 Englishmen were interesting. They come, he said, from the bottom of the 

 sea ten days to the eastward of Delagoa Bay. There they live entirely under 



