Part 5 (2/2)
”I have just had this offer of leather goods fro In spite of war scares, and the fear that we should have to leave the country suddenly, shoals of new-cos and trunks are always in demand by those who are forced to travel from town to town
Saddlery, bits, and reins are also easily disposed of This would be a good opportunity for you to make a run down to Durban You have never been there, and you could inspect these goods between the hours when you will be looking round the town
”There is a list of the articles that have just been shi+pped over froainst the prices quoted I have ticked down the aoods are of first-rate quality, you ood of you, and I'd like to go immensely, Mr Hunter,” Jack answered ”How many of each of these items am I to buy?
I see you have not stated that”
”Well, I i now I shall be able to sell all at a large profit, for I think there is likely to be an unprecedented demand very shortly So I shall leave it to your discretion to buy as ned cheque Of course you will get soe order, and the terms I shall also leave to you You have already shown you possess a business head, and I can therefore rely upon your carrying the arrangements out satisfactorily Fill in the cheque and hand it over when you have settled the matter To-day is Saturday You had better start on Monday , and I shall expect you back on the Thursday or Friday following”
Jack was delighted at the confidence placed in hihest spirits He purchased a return ticket, shook hands with Wilfred--ould have liked to acco to Kimberley for a few days,-- and jue
It was a long and monotonous journey to Durban Many of the towns they passed through, however, bore names which only a few lishmen, in fact of the whole of the civilised world
Running south towards the Orange Free State border, the railway curved towards the south-east, passing in succession Heidelberg, Standerton, and Volksrust Then, with a loud and piercing shriek fro, dark tunnel in the Drakenberg range of land's 's Nek and Majuba Hill, narit their teeth with vexation and regret, the train passed through a ed country, and finally pulled up at Newcastle, one of the tohere the opening scenes of the second Boer ere to be laid Then, after a ten-uard's whistle sounded, and they steaht away frohbourhood of Rorke's Drift (that littleBuffalo River, where a lish soldiers kept at bay the flower of Cetewayo's arte and Reitfontein, and drew up once , the train ran down to the river Tugela, skirted its western bank, and thundered across the bridge, and on past Chieveley and Frere to Estcourt, stopping only when it had run into the station at Pieter From there to Durban was only a short spin, and very soon Jack had arrived, and had been whirled to his hotel on a ”rickshaw” drawn by a strapping Kafir
On the following day he called on the agents, and inspected the leather goods he had been co decided how many to take, and offered a certain sum down for the articles he required, he left the warehouses, pro to call at the same hour next day and hear whether they would accept it or not
Then he took a ”rickshaw” a little way out of the town, and called upon a young felloho had sailed out froroggy leg whom the ladies on board took soJack cordially by the hand, and forcing him into a chair on the shady verandah on which the two lads had met
”Boy! Joko! Do you hear?” he shouted ”Look lively! I'!” sounded away from the opposite side of the house, from which a Kafir appeared a moment later, in a desperate hurry to obey his master
”Now, Somerton,” said Jack's jovial friend, whose naarette It's a funny corees withspirits as reed to do so, and soon they were lolling back out of the heat of the sun, puffing their cigarettes, for that was a habit which Jack had already learnt to appreciate, and chatting about their respective doings for the past few months
”So you're up in the Transvaal with Mr Hunter, and under the eyes of the Boers, are you?” said Turner, when he had heard how Jack had been e his time ”Well, I dare say you fellows up there knowto be ructions, awful ructions, I feel sure, and if I were you I should get ready to leave at a moment's notice”
”Yes, everyone says the same, Turner,” replied Jack, ”and from what I can understand, trouble is certain to follow Some say it will lead to war, and others say it is likely to be h, I expect I shall stick to Johannesburg till the Hunters clear out I've thrown in my lot with theirs, and I couldn't very well leave them, you know Besides, I am not anxious to do so
”If ust, then I shall stay in the country and see the trouble through; if not, why, I suppose I shall have to go back to England and begin to crarind which I don't fancy at all”
”Then the chances are you will be in the thick of it, Soer will have knuckled under
I can tell you this, at any rate: the Boers have been ar for years, and if I were in your shoes I should certainly sle in some weapon, a revolver for choice Andor I'm a Dutchman! Nohat do you say to a spin round the town or down to the quays?
”Joko! We want a couple of 'rickshaws' Bustle up and fetch theh the streets of Durban, and spent a pleasant afternoon together