“My, but ain’t it just sultry!” said Nathan. He had managed to squeeze his small body into a wedge of shade too small to accommodate the bulk of the Boer, who was largely exposed to the sun-glare.
Koos murmured an unintelligible reply. Nathan, in spite of the heat, felt in good form; he was determined to converse.
“My, but ain’t it funny that a big, strong chap like you should have to do just as I tell you, eh?”
Nathan could not see his companion’s face, so he went on garrulously—
“I’ll tell you what I mean to do; I’m just going to have a jolly rest down at your camp for two or three days. You can go down to Gamoep and collect the stock; I’ll stay behind and cheer up the missus, eh?”
Koos bit his lip till the blood came. His face, still averted from Nathan, turned almost purple; the veins of his temples appeared as though they would burst. Nathan went on—“You must excuse me, old man; I’m not a married man myself, and, what’s more, I don’t know that I ever will be, but I’ve often thought that a married man should keep no secrets from his wife. Don’t you agree with me, eh?” Koos still maintained silence. “Well, silence gives consent, as the copybooks say, so I suppose you agree with me. That being so, and without for a moment wishing to say anything that might lead your thoughts back in an unpleasant direction—and I’m sure you’ll see that it’s only out of friendship that I ask it—which is: Did you tell your wife about that little spree the other day?”
“No,” replied Koos hoarsely.
“Well, I think you’ve made a mistake in not doing so, and you must let me persuade you to tell your wife all about it as soon as we get to your camp. If you like you may put off telling her until the morning, but you’d better get it over, as the man said when he jumped on the back of the alligator.”
“Why should I tell my wife?”
“Several reasons. One is that if she were to hear about the thing from any one else she would think you didn’t trust her, don’t you know. Another is that I have reason to suspect your wife doesn’t like me quite as well as I like her, and I want her to know what a friend I’ve been to you all through this business. See?”