pan"; this, of
course, was a purely temporary camp. I was, much to my disgust, left
in charge of the carts while the others went on to look for a permanent
location.

Here it was that I nearly killed one of my friends. We had foregathered
on the road with three brothers named Dell; they belonged to the
well-known family of that name in Lower Albany, and were proceeding to
the fields in a small wagon. We had met them about a fortnight
previously, and ever since the two caravans had traveled together. We
had become very intimate; the younger brother, Sam, was my particular
friend. He taught me to smoke, and that was the cause of the trouble.

Finding "Boer" tobacco too strong for my unaccustomed nerves, I had
beguiled the weary hours of my vigil by soaking about a quarter of a
pound of strong tobacco in boiling water in a large pannikin. After the
soaking had gone on for some considerable time, I took the tobacco out
of the water, squeezed it, and set it out in the sun on a board to dry.
The liquor remaining in the pannikin was just the color of milkless
coffee made with vlei water. William Dell, the eldest brother (he
afterwards lived at Shilbottel, in the Peddie district), had gone to
the camp with the others. He returned alone. The afternoon was hot, and
Dell was extremely thirsty. When he got near his wagon he called out
for water. Unfortunately there was no one at the wagon. Seeing an
opportunity of paying off a score, I called out: "Here is some coffee,"
and offered the pannikin containing the tobacco juice.

Poor Dell thanked me with effusion, seized the vessel eagerly, and took
a big gulp of its contents. At once he flung the vessel into the air,
fell to the ground, and began to contort violently. I looked on,
horror-stricken at the effect of my practical joke. After a few
frightful seconds vomiting set in; this, no doubt, saved the sufferer's
life. I had quite unwittingly, of course administered a most virulent
poison. In the midst of his convulsions I caught William Dell's eye,
and read something suggestive of murder in it. So I made for the open
veld, and stood not upon the order of my going. Late at night I
returned to the vicinity of the camp and, after some difficulty, opened
communication with Sam. He acted as ambassador to William, and the
latter was good enough to forgive me. Thus I escaped the thrashing I so
richly deserved.

Our plans were changed almost immediately; we decided to try our luck
at O