Part 4 (1/2)
”Then it's settled,” exclaiht you'd jump at the idea I've spoken to Dr Hanly about it, and he and your o It will be the best thing you could possibly do under the circumstances, and besides, you may find that the experience will be of real service to you later on; for if you join the army it is more than probable that you will find yourself out in Africa with your regione I expect we shall sail in about a month's time It will be another four weeks before we reach Johnny's Burg, as we call it, and then you can stay with us just as long as you please”
Jack was delighted at the prospect before hiain as quickly as possible Save for a trip on the Continent with his father he had never left the shores of old England, and now the knowledge that in a short ti vessel bound for Africa, the land of gold and diahest spirits, and served, to no s stay in hospital
Awith the Hunters at a fine hotel near Piccadilly, and a week later had been able to give evidence at the Old Bailey--where he was coe,--and had seen the four ruffians who had atte of diaht they had set sail from Southampton, and ell in the Channel It was a lovely su in a long cane chair, propped up with cushi+ons and wrapped in a rug, he was a subject of interest to the passengers, and before many days had passed was on the best of terht a deal of by them, for Mr Hunter and Wilfred had not failed, when they joined the gentleed; while Mrs Hunter confided it to the ladies after dinner in the drawing-rooer and more firmly knit, and very soon, when the sea was quite smooth, he was able to hobble about the deck with the help of a crutch Before the voyage was over he had discarded the plaster splint hich his thigh had been encased, and by the ti shi+p steamed into Table Bay and whistled for the authorities to coive instructions as to where it was to berth, he had become quite an ordinary individual once , broad-shouldered young Englishht li when Mr and Mrs Hunter and the two boys landed, and as they were not to take the train for Johannesburg till the following day, Wilfred was able to escort Jack round the town and out into the country
Jack enjoyed it all immensely The streets were much the same as in London, and inabout were different; Englishood sprinkling of other nationalities, French, German, Kafir, and especially Dutch
The country outside, however, was very different The vegetation, of a sereen, while the scorching sun overhead, and the dusty roads underfoot, which reflected the dazzling rays, were a coe from what he had known in this country
Still, in spite of the glaring sun there was no doubt of the picturesqueness of Cape Town, backed as it was by its green slopes and fields, and frowned over by the sharply-cut summit of Table Mountain
Two days later the party arrived in Johannesburg, tired and weary after their long railway journey
”Now, Jack, you must do just as you like while you are here,” said Mr Hunter a few days after they had reached this modern city in which the Uitlander population of the Transvaal had, for the most part, taken up its residence ”Of course you ant to see Pretoria, and get a peep at his honour, dear old Kruger, e Englishmen love so much Then, perhaps, you would like to accoo there about twice asort of place at first sight, yet I think I can promise to open your eyes when I show you the mines You have heard of them, of course, and are aware that they are valued at millions of pounds On our way there, or on our return, we could take a peep at Bloee Free State, where President Steyn has his residence It will be all new to you, and, I dare say, sufficiently interesting”
”Thank you very much, Mr Hunter!” Jack replied ”I am already awfully interested, and should certainly like to see all there is in the country I wonder whether you would object to h for that now, and I should very e matters, and particularly how your books are kept I am sorry to say I aht at the end of the lad to think you would care to do it Place yourself in Wilfred's hands He knows all about it, and will show you how the business is carried on Who knows? One of these days you enial than ar felloho come from the best of houses in the old country, and yet are not ashamed to pull off their coats and put their shoulders to the wheel Why, one man of my acquaintance, who is in a very prosperous way of business just now, in spite of the exorbitant taxation hich we have to put up, owns to a title in England, and when he was there would have noout in the streets of London without the tiht of flying And here he is now, not too proud toby honest means, simply because he happened to be born a lord And there are lots more like him too Dear me, what a shock their parents would have if they could see the behind their counters with sleeves rolled up, and selling groceries or ironware as if they had been at it all their lives!”
On the following day Jack took the train for Pretoria, and had the good fortune to catch a glier, President of the Transvaal Republic, as he drove by in his carriage
”Father says he's the deepest and cleverest sche after the carriage, ”and from all one hears there can be little doubt about it They say, too, that he is a religiouslike the Puritans of old Whatever he is, however, he is certainly one of our bitterest enelishets all we have done for hier and no Boers in the Transvaal if it hadn't been for our country”
”He's a funny-looking fellow at any rate,” answered Jack; ”and why in the name of all that's rummy he should want to wear a topper in this outlandish place is uess If Iminister, a trifle hard-up and out-at-elbow”
”Hard-up!” exclaiust ”Don't er is no pauper He is certainly one of the wealthiest of the Boers”
And this was exactly the case President Kruger was a ed the affairs of this particular country, but had also contrived to look well after his own It was only a gliht of him, but it was quite sufficient to ier was a heavily-built man, arrayed in black from head to foot, which shone as all threadbare and worn-out clothing does On his head was a fairly presentable top hat, and in his fat, ungainly hands he held a pair of black kid gloves
But his face was the part which riveted one's attention
In anyone else's case but the president's it would have passed without co of typical Boers But, holding the position he did, one looked a second tied with a belt of straggly hair; the heavy, sleepy-looking eyes, overhung by bushy brows, and the general appearance of obtuseness
And yet it was this man who, for the sake of a boundless aland, ay, and stagger it with his blows; and he it was, this sheepish-looking Boer, who for years and years had been secretly drea to oust the Britishers from their fair colonies, and claim for himself the proud position and title of President--perhaps King--of the United States of Africa
Shortly after his return fro, and soon found hi was now practically strong again, though he had not yet got rid of the liet about, and even enjoy a game of cricket
Soon, too, he became accustomed to life in the store conducted by Mr Hunter, andthe e shop, with several depart storehouse behind Theone, and a coe office in which the books were kept
Jack was often here, and did not take long to , so much so that he soon became of real help to Mr Hunter
In the afternoon he played cricket or drove out with Wilfred, and in the evening he and his friend frequently sauntered into the town, and played billiards at a large restaurant which was a popular rendezvous Here he lishmen, and in addition several Boers, soer ave themselves such airs that the Uitlanders held aloof from them
Now it happened that Jack and Wilfred frequently played with two other young fellows, one of as a delicate lad about Jack's age, who had come to Africa for the sake of his health His nareat fancy to hinified, seldom spoke unless asked a question, and was as inoffensive and har as anyone could have wished to meet
But this very mildness was to be the cause of trouble, as Jack was soon to learn
A Boers who visited the restaurant was one tall young man of about twenty-five, who made himself more objectionable than any of the others He was buree, and openly expressed his hatred of all Englishmen Even in the billiard saloon his sneers were loudly uttered, so that Jack itched to thrash him on several occasions