“I was speaking in your own interest, Ancram,” went on Lamont. “Anyone can see with half an eye that you’re not in the least cut out for life in this country, and you’d only be throwing away your time and money.”
“Wish I’d got some to throw. I thought perhaps I might stop and do a little farming with you.”
“But farming needs some capital. You can’t do it on nothing. It’s a losing game even then, especially now that rinderpest is clearing us all out. Don’t you know any people in Buluwayo who could put you into the way of getting some job under Government, or in the mining department or something?”
“Not a soul. Wish I did. But, I say, Lamont, why are you so jolly certain I’m no good for this country? I haven’t had a show yet.”
“Oh, I can see. For one thing, if you start pounding the niggers about, like you did Zingela yesterday, you’ll get an assegai through you.”
It came to him as an inspiration, in pursuance of their plan of the previous day. And Ancram was green.
“No! Are they such revengeful devils as all that?”
“Well, they don’t like being bashed, any more than other people. And—a savage is always a savage.”
“By Jove! What d’you think, Lamont? Supposing I gave this chap something? Would that make it all right? Eh?”
“Then he’d think you were afraid of him.”