s, and they much
afraid of spooks;" that is of ghosts.

"What spooks?" I asked.

"Don't know, Baas. They say spook of some one who has been
killed."

"Rubbish," I replied. "Tell them to go and catch the spook; we
don't want a lot of noisy fellows howling chanties here all
night."

Then it was that Anscombe broke in in his humorous, rather
drawling voice.

"How can you be so hard-hearted, Quatermain? After the
supernatural terror which, as I told you, I experienced in that
very place, I wouldn't condemn a kicking mule to go through it in
this darkness. Let the poor devils stay; I daresay they are
tired."

So I gave in, and presently saw their fires beginning to burn
through the end canvas of the wagon which was unlaced because the
night was hot. Also later on I woke up, about midnight I think,
and heard voices talking, one of which I reflected sleepily,
sounded very like that of Footsack.

Waking very early, as is my habit, I peeped out of the wagon, and
through the morning mist perceived Footsack in converse with a
particularly villainous-looking person. I at once concluded this
must be Karl, evidently a Bastard compounded of about fifteen
parts of various native bloods to one of white, who, to add to
his attractions, was deeply scarred with smallpox and possessed a
really alarming squint. It seemed to me that Footsack handed to
this man something that looked suspiciously like a bottle of
squareface gin wrapped up in dried grass, and that the man handed
back to Footsack some small object which he put in his mouth.

Now, I wondered to myself, what is there of value that one who
does not eat sweets would stow away in his mouth. Gold coin
perhaps, or a quid of tobacco, or a stone. Gold was too much to
pay for a bottle of gin, tobacco was too little, but how about
the stone? What stone? Who wanted stones? Then suddenly I
remembered that these people were said to come from Kimberley,
and whistled to myself. Still I did nothing, principally because
the mist was still so dense that although I could see the men's
faces, I could not clearly see the articles which they passed to
each other about two feet lower, where it still lay very thickly,
and to bring any accusation against a native which he can prove
to be false is apt to destroy authority. So I held my tongue and
waited my chance. It did not come at once, for before I was
dressed those Basutos had departed together with their leader
Karl, for