A Breath from the Veldt 



343 



"Vroo" (wife) became more and more loquacious, till by the end of a week I 

 found the man whom I had heard everywhere stigmatised as a grasping ogre, an 

 honest old farmer, who was actually asking me to prolong my visit, and — marvel 

 of marvels — without paying for my board ! Only once, I think, did the old 

 chap show any sign of anger, and that was over the sketch I made of him at 

 his own request. Just as I had finished it, his good " Vroo " (wife), who scaled 

 about thirty stone, came up behind, and then stood holding her sides and 



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HEAD OF BLESSBUCK AND BONTEBUCK RAMS, SHOWING DIFFERENCE OF 

 FACE MARKINGS 



shaking with laughter, — a circumstance which apparently led my host to fancy 

 I was caricaturing him. He scowled furiously at my pictorial effort, till the 

 old lady came to my relief, and assured him it was a true portrait of himself ; 

 but even this did not altogether satisfy him. He remarked sadly, " Well, I 

 never knew I was such an ugly old devil before." 



Before leaving Jan and I had two more very pleasant days on the Veldt, 

 getting another black wildebeest bull and a blessbuck ram by driving in much 

 the same manner as before ; but there was nothing in our adventures to call for 



