Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-22

heart hardly blamed ~
the Texan. On the
ixmonths' trek from
Johannesburg, gong g. g. - Il
up to Charter, and ~ -
then bending Tsssz
course eaSt-by-SOuth S
to Bulawayo, we had - ~,
experienced perils and hard = ~ 80
ships well calculated to satisfy s-@9 !
the most eager thirst for adj ~1-gss1t
venture.
Having made the journey in
the rainy season, feat which
no white men had before at
tempted, we had taken long
chances with swollen rivers that had been regarded
as impossible during the rains; we had been nearly
always wet; in the sandy belts where there
little game we had been half starved in the fertile
regions we had faced savages and wild animals;
in the isolated little mining settlements we had
found the fever rampant and the people dying; at
Hartley Hills indeed, all had succum bed and the
bodies of the last three with nobody bury them,
had been devoured by hyenas. We, ourselves, since
leaving the beautiful but deadly Sab River valley,
had battled almost daily with malaria. And yet,
though we had examined hundreds of diggings, we
had found no gold.
Therefore, l was not taken greatly by surprise
when Ni1nmo, good frontiersman though he was,
threw up the sponge at Bulawayo. AS for myself,
l was determined to push The wild country still
farther north, the region of the ZambeS River,
where Livingstone had died. 1ured me with its mys-
terry Few white had ever penetrated it. Its
hills might contain wealth of gold When we left
johannesburg the Zambesi had been destination.
BY reaching it, would, at least be carrying out my
purpose.
Knowing however, that it would be reckless
folly attempt to make alone this trip of hundreds
of miles through the untracked wilderness, began
to look about for a companion. No of my own
color in Bulawayo would listen to me seriously
when l proposed the journey. Most of them, l
found, were eagerly awaiting the day when, the
rivers having subsidized the five hundred-nle trail to
johannesburg would be open to wagons that would
take them away from this hot and feverridden
try. | beginning to think that l should, after
all, have to chance the Jungles by myself, when
one morning a Kafr boy about eighteen years old,
all innocent of clothing, presented himself at
my camp and informed in curious English
that he would like to see the country to the
north.
l appraised him carefully. He had tall and slim
but muscular body well-shaped head and an in
tellgent eye. Physically he was all that could be
desired but, desiring to get line on his courage,
/ began to enlarge upon the pers and hardships of
the journey. l told him that we would probably be
gone year, and would encounter many lions and
other wild animals we'll perhaps as hostile tribes
Shoot good?" he inquired, drawing his arms up
in imitation OF taking aim with rifle. |
assured him that | did, and during the remainder
of the interview he grinned and nodded at me con-
fdent1y. 1t settled that l should pay him
fifteen shillngs month, and that should start
within a week.
l laid in considerable quantity of salt, pepper,
tea, corn-meal tobacco quinine, and matches
provided myself with two suits of rough clothing
and pair of boots, and for my forty-fve-
caliber express rifle replenished my supply of am
muntion with four hundred cartridges. My lieu
tenant whom had named Fifteen because of the
fifteen shillings month, did not burden his back
with any wearing apparel, but on the night before
our departure appeared at the camp leading by a
rope small, black, detected looking dog. These
animals being scarce in Bulawayo I inquired of
him sternly where he had acquired his new friend
At once Fifteen lost his command of the English
language. He gave me to understand, however,
that the dog necessary, since it would of
danger. Seeing that his heart set taking the
little animal along, | concluded that it was wiser