Chapter VIII.

Otago Witness, Issue 2089, 8 March 1894, Page 45

Chapter VIII.

The acquisition of the treasure from the cave caused Professor Goodwood to modify his original ideas of spending a year on their trip to the interior of Africa ; and he gave orders that all haste should be made on the journey, and resolved that, haying gained the river where Jamrach had promised to show them the diamonds, they would collect as many as they could of the precious gems, and forthwith return to civilisation, where they could if they chose live in luxury for the remainder of their days. Accordingly the frequent halts were forbidden, and Sambo and Pompey, accompanied closely by- the ape, curtailed the circle of their rambles. They, however, were strictly instructed to look out for rare specimens— either botanical or entomological — and faithfully they obeyed, bo that the collecting boxes of the professor already began to show signs of repletion. The cattle kept in fine condition, and the horses were in the pink of health, as no mishap had taken place, and the dreaded tsetse fly, whose ravages are so fatal, had not yet been encountered. The quantity of game increased, and elands, springboks, gnus, zebras, and quaggas, or wild asses, were frequently seen — not to mention the lion, whose roar was heard so frequently as. almost to be unnoticed. They now often, too, met with the tracks of elephants and other big game, and once they had Been the stately giraffe. The doctor was particularly struck with the gnus, or wildebeeßtes, which partook of the character of both deer and buffalo, and were curious, fiercelooking animals. They had not seen any natives for many days, but one eventful morning one was encountered under most curious circumstances. Sambo and Pompey were scouting as usual a little in advance of the waggon. It was a bright and glorious day, and the atmosphere was unusually clear, even for Africa. The boys had reached the top of a hill, and were scanning with practised eye the valley below. Suddenly they made out a group of seven ostriches, and the Zulus gazed on them long and wistfully. Then they noticed one of the number fall on to its side, flutter for a few seconds, and then lay motionless, as though dead. They wondered greatly at this, and their astonishment was increased when another bird went through the same mysterious performance, and remained stretched out, to all appearance also lifeless. "I can't make it out," said Pompey, who spoke as usual in the native dialect. " Same here," replied Sambo. But while they were cogitating over the affair the rumble of the waggon reached their ears, so Sambo hastened back to acquaint the doctor and Jamrach with the facts. Bringing his fieldglass to bear on the scene of action, the professor attentively regarded the birds for a few seconds, when he exclaimed : " There ! another bird is down ! What can it all mean ? " he asked, turning to Jamrach. The Boer replied by holding out his hand for the binooular, and in a few seconds he gave a satisfied grunt and said : " Egaackly ! Dey vos Bushesman ! Der again! Yon of doss birds is a leedle Bushesman mid de skin and head of osstriche ! " Resuming possession of the glass, the professor again made a steady inspection of the scene of action. " Another one down ! " he exclaimed. " Ah ! the other two are alarmed at last " ; and the party saw two birds, at length fully alive to their danger, making off with giant strides. Then the native hunter was observed to discard his disguise and remain in contemplation of his quarry. Mounting their horses, Doctor Goodwood and Jamrach galloped towards the Bosjesman, who looked up at their approach and made ready an airow for their reception. But a closer inspection having revealed the fact that the newcomers were white men, he calmly laid the bow aside and awaited them, saluting them on arrival with the word "Tabeh." Without further ceremony he made signs that be would like a smoke, and having received some tobacco from Jamrach he seated himself to indulge in the delight of a smoke. The professor was thuß afforded a good opportunity for a close inspection of the hunter, who apparently belonged to the Hottentot race, from his peculiar form of countenance — high cheek boneß, little contracted eyes, and long narrow chin. The colour of his skin was not black, but yellow. His speech was very peculiar, and contained a " click" in every syllable, and had besides a croaking sound produced in the throat, which is most difficult to imitate. So imperfect is said to be the language of the Bosjesmans that even those of the same horde often find a difficulty in understanding each other without the use of gesture. And at night when a party of Bosjesmans are smoking, dancing, and talking, they are obliged to keep up a fire so as to be able by the light to see the explanatory gestures of their companions. Like many other savage nations, they possess a gesture language which is universally understood, even when words are quite unintelligible, and by means of this language a European can make himself understood by them, even though he does not know a word of their spoken language. The Bosjesman was small in point of size — indeed, quite a pigmy, being very little above sft in height. In mien and gesture their new acquaintance bore more resemblance to an ape than a man. He had, however, grey hair and a bristly. beard; his forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin were all smeared over with black grease, his face having only a white circle round the eye, washed clean with tears occasioned by smoking. His pipe consisted of a bone picked clean, from which he had sucked the marrow. He filled the empty bone with tobacco, and takiug the long bone a considerable distance into his mouth, he drew in the smoke by long draughts, his eyes sparkling like those of a person who with more than usual pleasure drinks a glass of costly wine. This very simple pipe is preferred by the Bosjeßman to any other because he can take in a larger quantity of smoke at a single inhalation than would be the case if he used the small bore pipe of civilisation. Sometimes he inhales the whole of the smoke into his lungs, and takes draught after draught with such eagerness that "he falls down in a 6tate of insensibility, and has to be restored to consciousness by being rolled on the ground, and having water thrown over him

A single pipeful of tobacco has been known to intoxicate several smokers in succession. Kaffirs, Dutch, and English have takt-n young Bosjesman into their service, but the Bosjesman servant cannot be trusted further than he can ; be seen, for he is apt to throw off all appearance of civilisation and return to the privations and freedom of his native state. The principal use to which he is put is to serve as guide to the oxen. The eyes of the Bosjesman are small, deeply sunken in the head, and kept so tightly closed that they are scarcely perceptible. Yet his sight is absolutely marvellous in its penetration and precision. His unaided vision is quite as effective as an ordinary telescope, and he has been known to decide upon the precise nature of objects which the European could not identity even with the assistance of his glass. The professor and his companions assisted the Bosjesman to pluck the feathers from the OBtriches. He had an ingenious mode of preserving them from injury. He had hollow reeds, not thicker than an ordinary drawing pencil, into which he pushed the feathers as far as they Would go. He then tapped the end of the reed against the ground, and by degrees the feather worked its own way into the protecting tube. In this tube the feathers are carried about, and a considerable number of them can be packed so as to make an easy load for a man. By means of the Bosjesman hunter a very large proportion of the ostrich feathers — which are sent to the European market — are procured, and the lady who admires the exquisite contour and beautiful proportions of a good ostrich plume has seldom any idea that it was procured by a little yellow man disguised in an ostrich skin, with bow and arrows in his hand, and his legs rubbed with chalk. When the feathers were all safely packed away, Jamrach suggested that they should make a barter with the native, which transaction was speedily effected, and the Bosjesman soon departed for his family, richer in brandy and tobacco and other belongings than he had ever dreamed of, but minus the feathers, which were forthwith snugly deposited in the recesses of the waggon, and formed a not inconsiderable addition to the wealth of the party. (To be continued.)

is perfectly and completely true. Now get the children all round the fire, tell the little ones to try not to make any noise, but keep as quiet as possible, and be sure to give everyone a nice, comfortable, cosy seat, and now I shall begin. I may say, however, that mamma and papa, and indeed anybody else who would like to hear a fairy story, may listen if they like.

Once upon a time — which means in this instance not very long ago — a dear little girl was walking about in a garden behind our house. This garden was like most town gardens — which you little people don't know much about — and was enclosed by one end of the house and three high walls that blocked everything out of sight, except the sky, and were exceedingly strong and thick, with funny little holes here and there where a brick had been left out, and which I don't know any use for even now unless to let the cats in and out of the garden to spoil the beds.

Well, in one corner of this garden stood the most beautiful little fir tree you can imagine. It was neither very big nor very grand, but it had such a grand air. Now you will wonder what I mean by a grand air. Well, it always stood up quite straight and looked about it so brightly, and even if the rain was pouring and the wind was howling round the garden, this little tree would still hold up its head and look about it as much as to say :

"Come on; I don't mmd — indeed, I rather like it."

Then on sunshiny days you never saw anything like that little fir tree. It just glowed 'with happiness. Every little loaf seemed quivering with joy, and if I had been able to hear with my two ears instead of only one, as I do, I am sure that I should have heard it laughing. What a happy little tree it was — so contented, so satisfied, and just as if it felt from its tip to its root that life was really and truly worth living over and over again. It put me in mind of a little boy setting out on a sunny summer morning to school, feeling that he knew his lessons as well as ever he could learn them, and with the happy thought that he had done all his mother told him to do that morning, quite pleasantly and beautifully, and who was just filled with joy at the beauty of everything — the sunshine, and the flowers, the blue sea out in the bay, and the lovely sky above him, and with the wonderful thought that over all the good 'God \ras watching, and happy, up there in heaven with Him, were the loved and dear ones who had once been on the earth too, and whom the little boy felt must now be smiling down upon him.

However, to return to my little tree and the little girl. She was a very dear little girl, and was called Blue Eyes, because her eyes were like bits of the blue, blue sky on sunshiny days. Well, this little girl used to wander round the beds, and liked pulling the' flowers, which all little children do, and used to snip them all, eTery one, just off by their heads — you know the way — till her mamma told her that she must just pull three a day, and that she could pull whichever she liked best. How that little girl used to wander round

call me ; but this didn't stop that dreadful boy catching me round the waist and giving me an awful tug. I can feel the pain yet." "Oh, my!" said the little girl. "Was it like having a tooth out ?" " Far, far worse," said the little tree. "It was just like as if you were one big tooth, and got all pulled out at once." " Oh, how terrible ! " said the little girl. " However," the little tree went on bravely, " I never lost my senses ; and as he held me in his hands, and I saw my father and mother looking so vexed and not able to do anything, which is a terrible state to be in, I said, ' Never mind, father, never mind, mother, I'm all right. He'll .plant me somewhere, and I'll do my best to grow big.' I didn't hear what they said, for by this time the boy was marching off ; but they looked pleased and seemed hopeful." "But didn't that dreadful boy hear you?" said the little girl. "Oh no, no," cried the tre: 1 , " those sort of people never hear us. It is only those who love us and understand us that really hear vs — indeed, that we can talk to. Well, that terrible boy took me a long, long way ; at least it seemed very long then, and I heard him tell another boy that he knew where he would plant me — in the garden of a house that he went to every morning with milk. So he took me along and brought me into this garden, and stuck me down here ; but as some one came to one of the windows and asked him what he was doing, he ran away, leaving me only half stuck iD, which made me feel very sick indeed." " Poor tree," said the little girl, leaning closer up against it. " Indeed I must have looked very ill, for the maid at the window often looked out at me and said, ' The poor thing, I am afraid it will die ' ; but I thought to myself I wouldn't die, and so I stuck myself as firmly into the ground as I could, and did my best to hold on ; for, as I told you, that careless boy didn't put the soil tight round me, and I couldn't help wobbling about in the most ungraceful way, quite different to what I do now. If I could only have got the maid to understand me I should have asked her to come down and fix me in and stamp the ground all round with, her foot, so that I should have had something to hold on by, but she evidently didn't think of doing anything after she had sympathised with me, for she felt, as most people would have done, that she had done enough when she had said she was sorry." "Perhaps she flidn't know how much she could have done," said the little girl. " I am afraid she was thoughtless," said the little fir tree, "and that is often just as bad as being selfish. But where was I ? Oh, yes, I remember. Well, the days wenfc on, and I used to think very sadly of all my brothers and sisters in the forest. There were a great many of us, and we were so happy and grew so fast. My mother and father were two grand old trees, by far the finest in the forest, and they said they were proud of us ; but now I never see them, and my little brother, who was next to me, and whose branches would have been

beautiful lily he meant, with its pure white flowers and lovely green leaves glistening in the sun. "Do you know," the little fir tree went on earnestly, "that that lovely lily has a great sorrow." "A sorrow?" asked little Blue Eyes, who looked all eyes just then ; " what sorrow ? " "I wish you would go and ask about it," said the little tree, "and try to comfort it. I know all about it, but as the lily told me it was a great secret I am sorry that I cannot tell even you what it is." "And may I come back to you afterwards, and will you talk to me again ? " said the little girl. The little tree said that it would only be too glad if she would come as often as she liked. Well, the little girl went over to the lily and looked at it. It had three beautiful flowers and a number of buds, and as the sun shone down on it, making the leaves so bright and green, and the flowers so white, little Blue Eyes thought she had never seen anything so beautiful. She did not know how to address it in case it might be hurt, co she sat down beside it. (To be continued.)