most
other people he has his little weaknesses, and when the fit is on
him he can put away a surprising amount of liquor. I tell you so
that you should not be astonished if you notice anything, or try
to argue with him when he is in that state, as then his temper is
apt to be--well, lively. Now I must go and give him a pint of
warm milk; that is his favourite antidote, and in fact the best
there is."

I thought to myself that we had struck a nice establishment in
which to be tied, literally by the leg, for an indefinite period.
I was not particularly flush at the time, but I know I would have
paid a #100 to be out of it; before the end I should have been
glad to throw in everything that I had. But mercifully that was
hidden from me.

Rodd and I breakfasted together and discoursed of Kaffir customs,
as to which he was singularly well informed. Then I accompanied
him to see his native patients in the little hospital of which I
have spoken. Believing the man to be a thorough scamp as I did,
it was astonishing to me to note how gentle and forbearing he was
to these people. Of his skill I need say nothing, as that was
evident. He was going to perform an internal operation upon a
burly old savage, rather a serious one I believe; at any rate it
necessitated chloroform. He asked me if I would like to assist,
but I declined respectfully, having no taste for such things. So
I left him boiling his instruments and putting on what looked
like a clean nightgown over his clothes, and returned to the
stoep.

Here I found Marnham, whose eyes were rather bloodshot, though
otherwise, except for a shaky hand, he seemed right enough. He
murmured something about having overslept himself and inquired
very politely, for his manners were beautiful, after Anscombe and
as to whether we were quite comfortable and so forth. After this
I consulted him as to the best road for our servants to travel by
to Pretoria, and later on despatched them, giving Footsack
various notes to ensure the delivery of the oxen to him. Also I
gave him some money to pay for their keep and told him with many
threats to get back with the beasts as quick as he could travel.
Then I sent him and the two other boys off, not without
misgivings, although he was an experienced man in his way and
promised faithfully to fulfil every injunction to the letter. To
me he seemed so curiously glad to go that I inquired the reason,
since after a journey like ours, it wo