Between Snow and Fire — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

IF 9G 4 ‘ , A o~ _ , Mra o& o re ee ‘. a | ~~ . > " le bd Equally clearly was it a case wherein the third might be ey cused for omitting to apply the maxim. “ There’s a goodish weight in the trap already,” he Gy plied dubiously. But Eanswyth struck in: “We can make room for you, Mr. Hoste. Certainly And if we have the additional pull of your horse it wil! neutralize the additional weight.” Eustace said nothing. If Eanswyth’s mood had under- gone something of a change since last night, that was only natural, he allowed. ‘The arrangement was not to his lik- ing. But then, of most arrangements in this tiresome world the same held good. With which refiection, being a philoso- pher, he consoled himself. There was not much sign of the disturbed state of the country during the first part of the drive. But later, as they drew nearer the settlement, an abandoned homestead— standing silent and deserted, its kraals empty and the place devoid of life, or a trek of sheep and cattle raising a cloud of dust in the distance, together with a waggon or two loaded with the families and household goods of those, like them- selves, hastening from their more or less isolated positions to seek safety in numbers, spoke eloquently and with mean- ing. Now and again a small group of Kafirs would pass them on the road, and although unarmed, save for their or- dinary kerries, there seemed a world of grim meaning in each dark face, a menace in the bold stare which did duty for the ordinarily civil, good humoured greeting, as if the savages knew that their time was coming now. It was a splendid day, sunny and radiant. But there was an oppressiveness in the atmosphere which portended a change, and ever and anon came alow boom of thunder. An inky cloud was rising behind the Kabousie Heights, spreading wider and wider over the plains of Kafirland. A lurid haze subdued the sunshine, as the rumble of the ap- proaching storm drew nearer and nearer, and the blue electric flashes played around the misty hilltops where the ill-omened war-fires had gleamed two nights before. Even so, in like fashion, the brooding cloud of war swept down upon the land, darker and darker, co ee 1 es lees 2 eet