Between Snow and Fire — page 119: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a - Jand immediately beneath them was concealed a large number of the Gcaléka cattle—a thousand of them at least. There Bea were some men in charge, about sixty, he said, but still the ea whites might be strong enough to take the lot ; only they would have to fight, perhaps. w) ' * — Carefully they questioned him, but from the main details . of his story henever swerved. His object, hesaid, wasto be ." revenged on the Gcalékas, who had billeted themselves in % the Bomvana country and were carrying things with a high ; 5. hand. But Shelton was not quite satisfied. “ Look here, Jonas,” he said impressively. “ Supposing I were to tell you that this.yarn of yours is all a cock-and- bull lie, and that you’ve come here to lead us into a trap? And supposing I were to tell half a dozen men here to shoot ~ you when I count twenty ? What then?” All eyes were fixed upon the native’s face, as the leader left off speaking. But not a muscle therein quailed. For a minute he did not reply. Then heshook his head, witha wholly incredulous laugh. | “Nay, Baas,” he said. ‘“#aas is joking.” y “Well, you must be telling the truth or else you must be the pluckiest nigger in all Kafirland to come here and play the fool with us,” said Shelton. “What do you say, boys? Shall we trust to what this fellow tells us and make a dash for the spoil?” An acclamation of universal assent hailed this proposal. 8 In an incredibly short space of time the horses were saddled, : and with the native in their midst the whole party moved down in the direction of the bush. “Tn here, Saas,” said the guide, piloting them down a a narrow path where they were obliged to maintain single on om file. On either side was a dark, dense jungle, the plumed i * euphorbia rising high overhead above the bush. The path, | 4 rough and widening, seemed to lead down and down—no one knew whither. ‘The guide was not suffered to lead the . way, but was kept near the head of the party, those immedi- ; ately around him being prepared to shoot him dead at the first sign of treachery. “‘ D—d fools we must be to come into a place like this on the bare word of a black fellow,” grunted Carhayes. “T think the cuss means square and above board—but going down here in this picnicking way—it doesn’t seem right somehow.” (Eo payicelexeyxe)