Part 30 (1/2)
Both Ragnall and I acknowledged the force of this argu one by one
”It is enough,” said Hart; ” us White Kendah he who breaks an oath is put across the River Tava unarmed to make report thereof to Jana, Father of Lies Now farewell If we do not meet at the Feast of the First-fruits on the day of the new ether here after I have heard the voice of the Oracle”
Then he ate and departed with an escort of twelvecamels
”There is sonall
”A cah the eye of a needle than through that dreadful cave, even if it were empty”
”Probably,” I answered, ”but as we don't knohere it is and I dare say it lies miles from here, we need not trouble our heads on the matter
The cave is _our_ only road, whichat supper we discovered that Hans was ot possession ofliquor, for there it stood open in the cooking-hut with the keys in the lock
”He has gone on the drink,” I said to Ragnall, ”and upon my soul I don't wonder at it; for sixpence I would follow his exa we breakfasted rather late, since when one has nothing to do there is no object in getting up early As I was preparing to go to the cook-house to boil sos, to our astonishment Hans appeared with a kettle of coffee
”Hans,” I said, ”you are a thief”
”Yes, Baas,” answered Hans
”You have been at the gin box and taking that poison”
”Yes, Baas, I have been taking poison Also I took a walk and all is right now The Baashere Will the Baases eat porridge as well as eggs?”
As it was no use scolding hi about his manner which made me suspicious, for really he did not look like a person who has just been very drunk
After we had finished breakfast he ca lit his pipe he asked suddenly:
”Would the Baases like to walk through that cave to-night? If so, there will be no trouble”
”What do youthat he was still drunk
”I mean, Baas, that the Dweller-in-the-cave is fast asleep”
”How do you know that, Hans?”
”Because I ah he kicked and cried a great deal He is asleep; he ake no more Baas, I have killed the Father of Serpents”
”Hans,” I said, ”now I ah you do not show it outside”
”Hans,” added Ragnall, to whom I had translated as much of this as he did not understand, ”it is too early in the day to tell good stories
How could you possibly have killed that serpent without a gun--for you took none with you--or with it either for that h the cave?” asked Hans with a snigger
”Not till I a certain other events in this worthy's career, added; ”Hans, if you do not tell us the story at once I will beat you”
”There isn'tsucks at his pipe, which had nearly gone out, ”because the thing was so easy The Baas is very clever and so is the Lord Baas, why then can they never see the stones that lie under their noses? It is because their eyes are always fixed upon the mountains between this world and the next But the poor Hottentot, who looks at the ground to be sure that he does not stumble, ah! he sees the stones Now, Baas, did you not hear that oats were food for One elt in the mountain?”