Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-23
CHAPTER VII

TNHAT evening when the baggage had been
dlspused of and locked mp In my little
stable and arrangements were made Tor
the delivery of some cases containing ilnneu
foods etc, which had proved too heavy
for the Scotch cart Lord Ragnall and I
continued our conversation, First how
over we unpaCked the guns and checked
the ammunition, Of which there was large
supply with more to follow
A beautiful battery they We're Of all
sorts. from elephant guns down the most
\ costly and best finished that money could
buy at the time. II made me Shiver to
think what the bill for them must have
been. while their appearance when they
we're put together and stood In n long line
against the wall of my sitting room, moved
old Hans to a kind of ecstasy. For long
while he contemplated them, Dattlng the
stocks one after the other and giving to
each a name as though they were all alive,
then exclaimed:
with such weapons as these the Baas
could XIII the devil himself. Still, let the
Raas bring Intombi with him'-a favorte
old rifle Of mine and a mere toy in size,
that had, however, done me good service
in the past as those who have read what
I have written In Marie" and THE Holy
Flower" may remember, For, Baas, after
all the wife of ones youth often proves
more TO be trusted than the fine young
ones a man buys in his age, Also one
knows all her faults, but who can say
how many there may be hidden up in new
women. however beautifully they are tat
tooed?" and he pointed to the elaborate en-
craving upon the guns
1 translated this speech TO Lord Ragnall
IL made him laugh, at which ! was glad,
for up till then | had not seen him even
smile 1 should add that In addition TO
these sporting weapons there We're no few
er than fifty military rifles OF the best
make, they were large-bOre SndeTs that
had lust then been put upon the market
aud with them, packed In tin cases a
| great quantity OF ammunition Although
| the regulations We're not so strict then as
| they are now. / met with n great deal OF
! difficulty i'm getting all this armament
/ through the Customs. Lord Ragnall, how
| ever. had letters from the Colonial Office
| TO such authorities as ruled in Natal, and
| ON our giving a joint undertaking that they
| we're for defensive purposes only in un-
| explored territory and not for sale, they
| were allowed through, Fortunate did II
| prove for us in after days that this matter
| was arranged
That night before we went TO bed / mar
| rated 70 Lord RagnaIl all the history Of our
| search. for the Holy Flower. which he
| seemed 10 fnd very entertaining Also l
| told him Of my adventures, TO me far more
! terrible as chairman Of the Bona Eide Gold
| Mine and of their melancholy end,
| The lesson Of which is he remarked
! when | had finished, that because a man
| is master Of one trade il does not follow
| that he Is master OF another. You are, I
should Judge one of the finest shots in the
world, you are also a great hunter and
! explorer But when it comes 10 companies
| Quatermaiu--.
Still" he went on, Il ought 10 be CRATE
| mI TO that Bona Eide Gold Mine, since
| gather that had II not been for IL and for
| your rascally friend, AIr, Jacob, l should not
| have found you here
No" 1 answered. 1T is probable that
| you would not, as by this time might have
! been e" the interior where man cannot
be traced and letters do not reach him.
Then ne made a few pointed inquiries
| about the affairs Of the mine, noJing my
| answers down in his pocketbook. / though
this odd. but concluded that he wished L
verify my statements before entering intC
a close companionship with me, since 10
aught he knew ] might be the largest lial
In the world and a swinder 70 boot SO
said nothing even when 4 heard through Z
roundabout channel on the morrow that h