296 
THE NEW AFRICA 
he hoped we would bear him no ill-will for the part he took in 
our trial, or write about it in books, because he only wished to 
protect himself against his enemies. The current of thought 
that prompted this gentlemanly act gained our highest esteem, 
and we told the king that he had done perfectly right in holding 
an investigation, and thanked him for the kind way in which 
he had treated us at the trial. Stremboom, triumphant that 
his efforts to have a proper investigation had borne such 
successful fruit, reminded the king, in his own language, of some¬ 
thing that we did not understand which had occurred during 
the night; whereat the king laughed somewhat sheepishly, and 
rode off at a gallop homewards. 
Three miles further on we crossed a twenty feet deep clear 
stream, eighty yards wide, in large canoes, and mounting a 
stremboom’s factory at lake ngami 
hundred feet incline reached Stremboom’s hut a few hundred 
yards further on, where he welcomed us into his private apart¬ 
ments. 
Hammar threw himself on to some sacks in evident great 
relief, and pointing to his foot swore a great oath that nothing 
on earth should induce him to walk another step now until his 
hurt was healed. Like a recollection of guilt the thought came 
over me how I had forgotten all about his foot, and neglected 
him on the irritating marches through the wearying swamps 
and over dreary sand-belts, while Hammar, with the welfare of 
the expedition at heart, had, with a heroism only known to 
those who have suffered it, struggled bravely on and on, each 
step costing him a pain I shrink to think of, without even a 
hint at his condition or a word of complaint. Hastily I pulled 
