Native sympathies, so far as he was
concerned, had crashed to the ground. Henceforth he would know
how to treat natives, the way to have no trouble with them. Any
other way was not worth while. I objected, but my objections were
as little rocks over which his periods broke in foam.

They enhanced the effect. Our host came back and laughed a
little, till he saw how little I was enjoying it. Then he rotted
the orator on his lordly oblivion of one fact. Were there not
limits to his experience of Africa? He himself avowed his
sympathies with the African. If he had a hobby, it was natives.
He wanted to win their trust for a great many reasons. It was
worth while having it. He told a certain story and the talk
diverged. It was quite sympathetic talk, from my point of view
thenceforward, up till bed-time. We slept in that big room
within, all three of us. I had brought next to no kit, and
I had noted with some awe my naval friend's scorn of the
ill-provided in the course of the evening. He had described how
a Belgian he had shared a room with, lacked certain accessories
of civilization. So I was in the mood now to feel my own
deficiency. But the censor was not so very observant, and he
seemed sleepy. Soon he was sleeping.

My host and I exchanged a few undertones. Tomorrow was
Whitsunday. I wanted to have Service very early. 'That'll be all
right,' he said. Soon he put our hurricane lamp out, but I was
not to win sleep for quite a long while. In the early morning,
moreover, something happened. Some red-ant skirmishers were
about, and I had a hot time in my bed on the floor. I' might well
have felt more grateful than I did feel. Yes, had I only known
what battalions would have engaged me, had they decided to attack
before dawn! At dawn I was to see for myself what were the
numbers of their host. Meanwhile, their scouts gave me trouble,
if only a moderate amount. A cock crowed close by. Then another
and another. The dawn was not so very far then surely. The
thunder that had boomed when I first awoke, boomed louder. A
rushing mighty wind seized upon the shanty where we slept, a very
airy shanty. The fact that the Day that came was Pentecost,
recurred to me. Then the storm broke in fury. The rain smashed
down, and the lightning forked and flickered. The roar and tumult
raged and swelled and thudded overhead. My host awakened.

'It's near,' he said. 'Too near for me,' I murmured, as I ducked
involuntarily when a perfervid fla