the days of my life

第11部分 (第5/7頁)

new　no　English。　Luckily　I　did　know　the　Kaffir　name　of　Mr。　Shepstone　—　“Sompseu”　—　which　is　known　by　every　black　in　South　Africa；　and　managed　to　make　my　friend　understand　that　I　was　travelling　with　the　“Mighty　Hunter；”　also　that　there　were　four　waggons。　Now　he　had　not　seen　these　but　had　heard　that　they　were　in　the　neighbourhood；　so　following　his　unerring　instinct　he　at　once　struck　out　for　the　high　road　from　which　I　had　wandered　some　five　miles。　Arrived　there；　he　managed　by　the　glimmer　of　the　stars　to　find　the　track　of　the　waggons；　and　having　satisfied　himself　that　they　had　passed；　struck　away　again　into　the　most　awful　places　where　anything　but　the　Basuto　pony　I　was　riding　must　have　e　to　grief。

On　we　went　for　about　eight　miles　till　I　began　to　think　my　friend　was　knocking　under　to　the　cold　（a　very　little　cold　kills　them）　and　making　for　his　own　kraal。　However；　to　my　astonishment　he　hit　the　track　again　and　at　length　came　safely　to　the　waggons。　I　was　not　sorry　to　see　them。　I　found　the　Governor　in　a　dreadful　state　of　alarm。

Two　days　ago　we　went　up　to　Pagate’s　kraal。　He　is　a　rather　powerful　chief　under　our　protection；　having　some　fifteen　thousand　people。　It　is　a　very　good　specimen　of　a　chief’s　kraal。　It　stands　on　a　high　promontory　that　juts　out　and　divides　two　enormous　valleys　at　the　bottom　of　one　of　which　runs　the　Mooi　River。　The　view　is　superb；　two　thousand　feet　below　lies　the　plain　encircled　by　tremendous　hills　bush…clad　to　the　very　top；　while　at　the　bottom　flashes　a　streak　of　silver　which　is　the　river。　There　is　little　of　what　we　admire　in　views　in　England；　but　Nature　in　her　wild　and　rugged　grandeur。

His　kraal　is　curious。　In　extent　it　covers　about　ten　acres。　First　there　is　the　outer　fence；　inside　of　which　are　the　huts；　and　then　a　stronger　inner　one　to　ho