not particularly well affected towards us English just now. Also
I happen to be aware that some of them are intriguing with
Sekukuni against the British through Makurupiji, his 'Mouth' or
prime-minister, a very clever old scamp who likes to have two
stools to sit on."

"And doubtless will end by falling between them. Well, you see,
now that I think of it, the wounded Kaffir only said that they
were ordered to take our guns and oxen, and incidentally our
lives. The wagon was not mentioned."

"Quite so, Mr. Quatermain. I will send some of our boys to help
your servants to bring everything it contains up here."

"Can't you lend me a team of oxen," I asked, "to drag it to the
house?"

"No, we have nothing but young cattle left. Both red-water and
lung-sickness have been so bad this season that all the horned
stock have been swept out of the country. I doubt whether you
could beg, borrow or steal a team of oxen this side of Pretoria,
except from some of the Dutchmen who won't part."

"That's awkward. I hoped to be able to trek in a day or two."

"Your friend won't be able to trek for a good many days at the
best," broke in the doctor, who had been listening unconcernedly,
"but of course you could get away on the horse after it has
rested."

"You told me you left a span of oxen at Pretoria," said Marnham.
"Why not go and fetch them here, or if you don't like to leave
Mr. Anscombe, send your driver and the boys."

"Thanks for the idea. I will think it over," I answered.

That morning after Footsack and the voorlooper had been sent with
some of the servants from the Temple to fetch up the contents of
the wagon, for I was too tired to accompany them, having found
that Anscombe was still asleep, I determined to follow his
example. Finding a long chair on the stoep, I sat down and
slumbered in it sweetly for hours. I dreamt of all sorts of
things, then through my dreams it seemed to me that I heard two
voices talking, those of our Marnham and Rodd, not on the stoep,
but at a distance from it. As a matter of fact they were
talking, but so far away that in my ordinary waking state I could
never have heard them. My own belief is that the senses, and I
may add the semi-spiritual part of us, are much more acute when
we lie half bound in the bonds of sleep, than when we are what is
called wide awake. Doubtless when we are quite bound they attain
the limits of their power and, I think, sail at times to the
utt