The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-30

as unused upon other days in my old
English home and thought / would
give a great deal to be able to trans
port myself for a few moments to the
ancestral hearth in Scotland. African
tobacco helped, in some measure, to
sssuage these homesick warnings, and
the symptoms of approaching darkness
merged them into an overwhelming
anxiety for the safety of my oxen.
j was about to leave my camp-stool
and wander a short distance on the
track, when my attention was arrested
by the sight of several figures crossing
the veldt in the direction of my wagon.
Soon they emerged from the gloom,
and, as they approached the fire, rec
ognized them as bushnen of the des-
ert. They were all armed, some with
bows and arrows tipped with bone and
poisoned, others with spears iron-head-
ed and fitting into wooden handles five
feet long. As to their costume, the
less said the better, for it was practi-
callv nil. though one who appeared to
Hebe the chief was adorned with a spe-
&Ncies Of fur cap.
-.IVINGSToN'S OLD SERVANT.
AS the party approached closer the
- chief saluted me with Good morn
ing. Boss" 1 returned the greeting in
good Kafir, and asked him from
whence his party came. To my aston
tshment, I was answered in English
that they were moving on to a fresh
watering place. as the one they had
recently left was dried up. He point
ed to a clump Of brush, interspersed
with splendid Kameel-doom trees,
about five hundred yards from my
camp, and said that the women and
children belonging to his party were
resting there for the night. Then the
<&ushmen added a little subtle f1attery
10 the effect that when he sighted my
wagon he knew it belonged to an Eng
lishman and not to Boer, for the lat
ter would never have kept it and its
tent so trim and clean. He confessed
that he was not sure Of a welcome
from a Dutchman, but he knew the
English would treat him well l soon
found out that he was the only one OF
the party who could speak my Ian
zuage. the rest knowing nothing be-
vond their own tongue, which consists
of four clicks and few cultural
sounds. Such an attempt at articu-
late speech seems to mark the evolu-
tion of the brute to something a grade
higher; at all events, the bushmen IAN
euage is so utterly primitive that 1t
denotes an epoch prior to the inven-
ton of words.
Having satisfied myself thar the
strangers meditated no harm, invited
them TO square round the camp ne,
irving Klaas their hel1 man, seat
near me. A small supply Of biltoDS, or
dried meat served out to eacn one. put
them all in exeellen humor, and when
" I produced some tchacco their satisfac-
don knew no bounds. The whole party
possessed but two pipes between them,
and these were nothing m IRE than mar
row bones: but they were passed
around so that each might lake few
whiffs A desultory conversation en-
sued. during which ] asked Klaas how
st happened that he knew English so
well.
''Why. boss, ] was a long time with
my old MASTER he answered. Il went
with him round and round the world.
and would have stayed with him for
ever. for he was very good to the black
people He made US understand that
J there was only one Molimo--a very
food God, who loved the black as well
! s the white man."
You were fortunate" I replied. But
who was your master2'
ssTJis name was Livingstone. boss. "
ssGood heavensr / exclaimed, aston
ished at hearing so illustrious name
in the mouth Of this poor bushman-
ssWere You actually the servant of Liv-
ingstone, the great traveller and mis-
sionary?"
Ave boss. that / was. We all loved
him. and would follow him anywhere.
But he forbade us to go with him fur
4her than the great lake, for he said he
was gcsng on A long journey which
might be so fun of peril that it was
wiser to send us back to our families
"Then you parted with him at the
= great lake," asked.
yes, boss; he made us go from him.
was ike parting with the dying, for
knew II he got into the north coun-
he could never return again
Your superstition is right for once"