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"Baas," he gasped, "Baas, how did you know?" "I knew," I replied grandly, "in the same way that I know everything. Show me the diamond." "Baas," he said, "it was not the Baas Anscombe's gin, it was some I bought in Pilgrim's Rest." "I have counted the bottles in the case and know very well whose gin it was," I replied ambiguously, for the reason that I had done nothing of the sort.
I shall do my honest best to cure Mr. Anscombe, and I tell you that he will take some curing." Then I woke up, and as no one was in sight, wondered whether or no I had been dreaming. The upshot of it was that I made up my mind to send Footsack to Pretoria for the oxen, not to go myself. I slept in Anscombe's room that night and looked after him.
If we made for the wagon, which must be very slowly because of Anscombe's wounded foot, we had to cross seventy or eighty yards of rising ground almost devoid of cover. If, on the other hand, we stayed where we were till nightfall a shot might catch one of us, or other Basutos might arrive and rush us.
Rodd also, that he was encouraging the intimacy between his daughter and Anscombe by every means in his power. In one way and another he had fully informed himself as to Anscombe's prospects in life, which were brilliant enough.
Just then I looked up, and there at the garden gate saw Anscombe's driver, Footsack, the man whom I had despatched to Pretoria to fetch his oxen. I noted that he looked frightened and was breathless, for his eyes started out of his head. Also his hat was gone and he bled a little from his face. Seeing us he ran up the path and sat down as though he were tired. "Where are the oxen?" I asked. "Oh!
Once more I interpreted for the benefit of Anscombe, for Heda understood Zulu well enough, although she had pretended not to do so, after which the two shook hands, to Anscombe's amusement and my wonder. For I felt this scene to be strained and one that hid, or presaged, something I did not comprehend.
Either by chance or design Anscombe's horse was struck in the neck and fell struggling, whereon my beast, growing frightened, broke its riem and galloped to the wagon. That is where I ought to have left them at first, only I thought that we might need them to make a bolt on, or to carry Anscombe if he could not walk.
Doubtless it was hence that the guns had come which sent a bullet through Anscombe's foot and nearly polished off both of us. Moreover, as further matches showed me, that cave contained other stores item, kegs of gunpowder; item, casks of cheap spirit; item, bars of lead, also a box marked "bullet moulds" and another marked "Percussion caps."
Also thence I could attend to the matter of Heda's inheritance and rid myself of her father's will that already had been somewhat damaged in the Crocodile River, though not as much as it might have been since I had taken the precaution to enclose it in Anscombe's sponge bag before we left the house.
I mixed up two names, as one often does after a lapse of many years." "I understand," I answered, but remembering Anscombe's story I reflected to myself that our venerable host was an excellent liar. Or more probably he meant to convey that he wished the subject of his youthful reminiscences to be taboo.
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