Between Snow and Fire — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

. « — - " ? ’ ; Pr, ~~ a » 24 F : a ' ; : —_— ee ' hae ot ee ER OE — & f=. - a , * * ——- — «ye *@ * “A - eee ov en ee,” —_ "s “* A» oe Z mi ; Le y : ‘ é — > a 7 oa on => E » = 7 - s ~ - r we, ie ’ - “ i go think of that, Eustace? And a hundred and thirty cattle . / 4% ‘ ‘4 , — ‘ — A = A & f Sad . 7 too, heifers and slaughter stock.” “H’m! Well, you know best,” said Eustace. “ But why this wholesale clearance, Tom?”’ | ‘Why? Why, man, haven't you heard? No, of course he hasn’t. War! That’swhy. War, by the living Jingo! It’s begun. Our fellows are over the Kei already, pepper- ing the niggers like two o'clock.” “Or being peppered by them—which so far seems to be the more likely side of the question,” struck in Hoste. “A report came into Komgha to-day that there had been a fight, and the Police had been licked. Anyhow, a lot more have been moved across the river.” “Wait till we get among them,” chuckled Carhayes. “Eh, Hoste? We'll pay off some old scores on Jack - Kafir’s hide. By the Lord, won’t we?” “Ja. That’s so. By-the-by, Mrs. Carhayes, I mustn't forget my errand. The wife has picked up a cottage in Komgha, and particularly wants you to join her, She was lucky in getting it, for by now every hole or shanty in the village isfull up. There are more waggons than houses as —— . it is, and a lot of fellows are in tents, They are going to make a big /aager of the place.” Eanswyth looked startled. “Are things as bad as all that?” she said. | “They just are,” answered Hoste. “ You can’t go on Staying here, It isn’t safe—is it, Carhayes? Everyone round here is trekking, or have already trekked. I met George Payne in Komgha to-day. Even he had cleared out from Fountains Gap, and there’s no fellow laughs at the scare like he does.”’ “ Hoste is right, Eanswyth,” said Carhayes. ‘‘So you’d better roll up your traps and go back with him to-morrow. I can’t go with you, because Reid is coming over to take delivery of ‘the stock. Eustace might drive you over, if he don’t mind,” Eustace did wof mind—of that we may be sure. But although no glance passed between Eanswyth and himself, hoth were thinking the same thing. ‘To the mind of each came back the words of that morning: “ 4 sort ef instinct tells me tt ts the last day we shall have to ourselves for some time to come.’ And it would be. : They sat down to supper, Tom Carhayes was in tre- ’ cComichook