refore he tries to frighten us all? When we were going
to be married, should we have wished to ride away at once to visit
some stinking savage? Ach! I am glad I thought of that just as I was
beginning to turn his gloomy colour, like a chameleon on a black hat,
for it explains everything," and he struck his thigh with his big hand
and burst into a roar of laughter.

All the company of Boers who stood around began to laugh also,
uproariously, for this primitive joke appealed to them. Moreover, their
nerves were strained; they also dreaded this expedition, and therefore
they were glad to relieve themselves in bucolic merriment. Everything
was clear to them now. Feeling myself in honour bound to go on the
embassy, as I was their only interpreter, I, artful dog, was trying to
play upon their fears in order to prevent it from starting, so that I
might have a week or two of the company of my new-wed wife. They saw and
appreciated the joke.

"He's slim, this little Englishman," shouted one.

"Don't be angry with him. We should have done as much ourselves,"
replied another.

"Leave him behind," said a third. "Even the Zulus do not send a
new-married man on service." Then they smacked me on the back, and
hustled me in their rude, kindly manner, till at length I fell into
a rage and hit one of them on the nose, at which he only laughed the
louder, although I made it bleed.

"See here, friends," I said, as soon as silence was restored; "married
or no, whoever does not ride to Dingaan, I ride to him, although it is
against my judgment. Let those laugh loudest who laugh last."

"Good!" cried one; "if you set the pace we shall soon be home again,
Allan Quatermain. Who would not with Marie Marais at the end of the
journey?"

Then, followed by their rough and mocking laughter, I broke away from
them, and took refuge in my wagon, little guessing that all this talk
would be brought up against me on a day to come.

In a certain class of uneducated mind foresight is often interpreted as
guilty knowledge.

CHAPTER XVII. THE MARRIAGE

I was awakened on my wedding morning by the crash and bellowing of
a great thunderstorm. The lightning flashed fearfully all about us,
killing two oxen quite near to my wagon, and the thunder rolled and
echoed till the very earth seemed to shake. Then came a wail of cold
wind, and after that the swish of torrential rain. Although I was well
accustomed to such natural manifestations, especially