ut I own there were moments when I came
near to kicking Mr Japp.

The truth is he was a disgusting old ruffian. His character was shown
by his treatment of Zeeta. The poor child slaved all day and did two
men's work in keeping the household going. She was an orphan from a
mission station, and in Japp's opinion a creature without rights.
Hence he never spoke to her except with a curse, and used to cuff her
thin shoulders till my blood boiled. One day things became too much
for my temper. Zeeta had spilled half a glass of Japp's whisky while
tidying up the room. He picked up a sjambok, and proceeded to beat her
unmercifully till her cries brought me on the scene. I tore the whip
from his hands, seized him by the scruff and flung him on a heap of
potato sacks, where he lay pouring out abuse and shaking with rage.
Then I spoke my mind. I told him that if anything of the sort happened
again I would report it at once to Mr Colles at Durban. I added that
before making my report I would beat him within an inch of his degraded
life. After a time he apologized, but I could see that thenceforth he
regarded me with deadly hatred. There was another thing I noticed about
Mr Japp. He might brag about his knowledge of how to deal with
natives, but to my mind his methods were a disgrace to a white man.
Zeeta came in for oaths and blows, but there were other Kaffirs whom he
treated with a sort of cringing friendliness. A big black fellow would
swagger into the shop, and be received by Japp as if he were his
long-lost brother. The two would collogue for hours; and though at
first I did not understand the tongue, I could see that it was the
white man who fawned and the black man who bullied. Once when japp was
away one of these fellows came into the store as if it belonged to him,
but he went out quicker than he entered. Japp complained afterwards of
my behaviour. ''Mwanga is a good friend of mine,' he said, 'and brings
us a lot of business. I'll thank you to be civil to him the next
time.' I replied very shortly that 'Mwanga or anybody else who did not
mend his manners would feel the weight of my boot.

The thing went on, and I am not sure that he did not give the Kaffirs
drink on the sly. At any rate, I have seen some very drunk natives on
the road between the locations and Blaauwildebeestefontein, and some of
them I recognized as Japp's friends. I discussed the matter with Mr
Wardlaw, who said, 'I believe the old vill