re on earth is Doppersdorp?"

"Ha! There you are, are you captain? I was hunting for you everywhere
to say good-bye. Doppersdorp? Doppersdorp? No, hang me if I do know!
Sounds like some good old Dutch place, buried away up in the Karroo most
likely. Well, ta-ta. Excuse my hurry, but I shall barely catch the
Uitenhage train." And he made for the gangway again.

"That looks bad," said Musgrave. "A place nobody seems so much as to
have heard of is likely to be a hole indeed."

"What are you going there for, if it's not an impertinent question?"
said the captain.

"Got a Government billet."

"Well, come along to my crib and we'll settle that bet. I've got a map
or two that may give the place."

Not without a qualm did Musgrave find himself for the last time within
that snug berth where he had spent so many festive evenings, whether it
was when the rain and spray was lashing the closed scuttles while the
vessel was rolling under half steam against the tempestuous Biscayan
surges, or with door and windows alike thrown wide open as she glided
through the oily stillness and moist heat of tropical waters. In his
heart of hearts he was perhaps a little sorry that the voyage was over.
Most of the passengers had left the ship at Capetown, and the remainder
on dropping anchor in Algoa Bay early that morning, with the exception
of half a dozen or so, bound for the other coast ports, among whom until
a few minutes ago he had reckoned himself.

"Here's the place," said the captain after a brief scrutiny of the map
he had just unrolled; "I thought as much. Stuck away in the middle of
the Karroo. Yes, you'd better land here after all. You can get at it
easier from here, but it will mean about two days or more of post-cart
travelling after you leave the train. Well, I wonder when we shall meet
again! Perhaps we'll take the run home together one of these days."

The other shrugged his shoulders.

"Probably that event will never come off," he said. "The magnificent
start I'm making doesn't seem to hold out large margin for saving up a
fortune against ripe old age. So here goes for assisting to represent
the Colonial Government among the Boers and the boundless Karroo."

"Hold on, though. You needn't be in such an all-fired hurry to start
off there," said the captain. "I'm going ashore myself this afternoon,
and there's plenty of room for your luggage in my gig. Then we might
dine at the Phoenix, and start you