the days of my life-第41章

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ng　to　be　done　—　operate。　So　we　operated；　with　a　razor　and　without　an　anaesthetic。　I　only　hope　that　such　another　job　may　never　fall　to　my　lot；　for　that　ostrich　was　unmonly　strong　and　resented　our　surgical　aid。　However；　we　got　the　bone　out　and　the　creature　recovered。　Imagine　our　horror　when；　a　few　weeks　later；　it　appeared　with　another　bone　immovably　planted　in　exactly　the　same　place！　This　time　we　left　it　to　fate；　by　which　it　was　speedily　overtaken。
Besides　the　ostriches　we　had　a　number　of　draught　oxen　and　some　waggons。　Out　of　these　we　did　very　well；　as　we　hired　them　to　Government　for　transport　purposes；　though　from　these　trips　they　returned　dreadfully　footsore　and　poor。　But　cattle　also　had　their　risks。　Thus　I　remember　our　investing　several　hardly　earned　hundreds　of　pounds　in　a　bunch　of　trek　oxen；　which　we　sent　down　to　the　bush…veld　to　recover。　A　month　or　two　later　came　a　message　from　the　man　who　had　taken　them　in；　to　the　effect　that　they　were　all　dead　of　eating　a　poisonous　herb　called　“tulip。”　We　often　wondered　if　“tulip”　really　accounted　for　their　disappearance　from　our　ken。
Also　we　made　hay；　rather　a　new　departure　in　that　district　in　our　time；　where　the　cattle　were　left　to　get　through　the　winter　as　best　they　could。　This　hay…making　was　a　profitable　business；　as　the　product　was　in　eager　demand　at　a　high　price。　I　remember　selling　the　result　of　about　a　month　of　my　own　work　for　250　pounds；　and　never　in　all　my　life　have　I　been　prouder　of　anything　than　I　was　of　earning　that　money；　literally　with　my　hands　and　by　the　sweat　of　my　brow。
This　was　the　process　—　one　that　would　make　my　English　steward　and　labourers　stare。　Indeed；　when　I　tell　the　former　of　it；　he　listens　politely　but；　I　am　quite　sure；　in　his　heart　believes　that　for　his　benefit　I　have　wandered　into　the　familiar　fields　of　fiction。　We　had　imported　a　hay…cutting　machine；　I　believe　one　of　the　first　seen　in　those　parts。　Having　selected　a　patch　of　level　veld　on　which　to　operate；　and　harnessed；　I　think；　three　horses　to　the　machine；　I　would　start　out　in　the　dewy　morning；　at　sunrise；　with　a　Kaffir　leader。　Then　we　menced　operations。　I　sat　on　that　dreadful　apparatus　and　managed　the　levers　and　knives；　the　Kaffir　led　the　horses。　The　grass　was　thick　and　plentiful；　so　thick　indeed　that　it　was　difficult　to　see　stones　and　ant…bear　holes。　The　former　must　be　avoided　by　sudden　and　Herculean　efforts；　or　the　knives　would　be　shattered。　As　for　the　latter；　occasionally　we　went　into　them　to　the　depth　of　two　feet　or　so；　and　then　the　trouble　was　to　prevent　myself　from　being　thrown　on　to　the　knives。
Altogether　grass…cutting　had　its　dangers；　though；　as　it　happened；　I　never　came　to　any　serious　harm。　After　the　hay　was　once　mown　the　rest　was　paratively　simple。　We　invented　a　gigantic　rake；　to　which　we　attached　two　mules　or　horses；　and　by　this　means；　after　it　had　lain　for　a　day　or　so　in　the　sun　to　dry　—　for　we　never　attempted　to　turn　it　—　dragged　the　hay　into　enormous　cocks；　since　the　building　of　a　regular　stack　was　beyond　our　resources。　These　cocks　we　covered　with　cloths；　or　anything　we　could　get；　and　when　they　had　settled　and　sweetened　by　the　generated　heat；　we　sold　them　to　the　purchasers；　usually　missariat　officers　who　carted　them　away。　I　suppose　they　were　satisfied　with　the　stuff；　as　they　always　came　back　for　more。　Or　perhaps　they　could　get　nothing　else。
Further；　we　grew　mealies　or　Indian　corn；　but　here　the　trouble　was　that　stray　cattle　and　horses　would　break　in　at　night　and　eat　them。
Such　is　a　rough　outline　of　our　various　agricultural　and　other　operations　on　the　Rooipoint　farm。　Personally　they　form　my　pleasantest　recollections　of　the　place；　though；　were　I　to　start　again；　I　would　not　have　so　many　irons　in　the　fire。　On　the　whole　we　made　a　good　deal　of　money；　though　our　outgoings　and　losses　were　also　heavy。　To　farm　successfully　in　Natal　requires；　or　required；　much　capital　and；　owing　to　the　poor　quality　of　the　Kaffir　labour；　incessant　personal　supervision。　These　Kaffirs；　however；　who　were　most　of　them　our　tenants；　were　in　many　ways　our　best　friends；　moreover　they　afforded　us　constant　amusement　when　they　were　not　engaged　in　driving　us　mad　by　their　carelessness。
I　remember　one　of　them　breaking　the　best　dinner　dish　and　calmly　bringing　the　pieces　to　my　wife。　“I　have　collected　and　carried　these　fragments　to　the　Inkosikaas　（head　lady）；”　he　explained　with　a　sweet　smile；　“that　the　Inkosikaas；　being　clever　like　all　the　white　people；　may　cause　them　to　join　themselves　together　again。”
The　Inkosikaas　surveyed　him　and　them　with　speechless　indignation。　When；　however；　some　of　the　family　silver　—　I　think　it　was　spoons　—　was　missed　and　ultimately　found　in　the　stable　dust…heap；　and　when　the　best　new　table　knives　were　discovered　being　used　by　Mazooku　and　his　friends　to　dissect　a　decaying　ox　that　had　died　of　lung　sickness；　her　indignation　was　no　longer　speechless。　Indeed　the　offenders　fled　before　her。
Of　course　these　Zulus　gave　everybody　a　native　name。　My　wife　they　called　by　a　word　which　meant　“a　pretty　white　bead　with　a　pink　eye；”　while　Gibbs　was　designated　by　a　descriptive　title；　anglice　“a　worn…out　old　cow　who　would　have　no　more　calves。”　I　cannot　recollect　whether　anyone；　even　Stephen；　dared　to　give　to　her　an　unBowdlerised　rendering　of　this　not　too　plimentary　appellation。　Certainly　I　avoided　doing　so。　Poor　Gibbs！　Her　trials　in　that　strange　land　were　many。　Still　we　brought　her　safe　home　to　England；　where　she　remained　in　our　service　for　a　year　or　two；　then　left　and　vanished　away　as　modern　domestics　do。　I　wonder　whether　she　still　lives；　and　if　so；　where　she　is　spending　her　old　age！
Before　we　left　Hilldrop　we　had　a　great　sale　of　our　imported　furniture；　of　which　the　catalogue　survives　to　this　day。　It　was　a　highly　successful　sale；　since　such　articles　were　then　rare　at　Newcastle。　Thus　I　think　a　grand　piano；　which　I　had　bought　second…hand　for　40　pounds　in　England；　fetched　200　pounds；　and　the　other　things　went　at　proportionately　good　prices。　Only　the　“pany”　got　hold　of　all　the　stock　of　wine　which　was　exposed　upon　the　verandah　and　therein　drank　our　healths；　whereon　the　watchful　auctioneers　knocked　it　down　to　the　drinkers　at　a　high　price　per　dozen。
So　at　last　we　bade　farewell　to　Hilldrop；　which　neither　of　us　ever　has；　nor　I　suppose　ever　will；　see　again　except　in　dreams。　I　remember　feeling　quite　sad　as　we　drove　down　the　dusty　track　to　Newcastle；　and　the　familiar　house；　surrounded　by　its　orange　trees；　grew　dim　and　vanished　from　our　sight。
There　my　son　had　been　born；　there　I　had　undergone　many　emotions　of　a　kind　that　help　to　make　a　man；　there　I　had　suffered　the　highest　sort　of　shame；　shame　for　my　country；　there；　as　I　felt；　one　chapter　in　my　eventful　life　had　opened　and　had　closed。　It　was　sad　to　part　with　the　place；　and　also　to　bid　good…bye　to　my　Zulu　servant　Mazooku。　The　poor　fellow　was　moved　at　this　parting；　and　gave　me　what　probably　he　valued　more　than　anything　he　possessed；　the　kerry　that　he　had　carried　ever　since　he　was　a　man　—　that　same　heavy；　redwood　instrument　with　which　more　than　once　I　have　seen　him　battering　the　head　of　some　foe。　It　hangs　in　the　hall　of　this　house；　but　where；　I　wonder；　is　Mazooku；　who　saved　my　life　when　I　was　lost　upon　the　veld？　Living；　perhaps；　in　some　kraal；　and　thinking　from　time　to　time　of　his　old　master　Indanda；　of　e　vague　rumours　may　have　reached　him。　If　so；　were　I　to　revisit　Africa　today；　I　have　not　the　faintest　doubt　but　that　he　would　reappear。　I　should　go　out　of　my　hotel　and　see　a　grey…headed　man　squatted　on　the　roadside　who　would　arise；　lift　up　his　arm；　salute　me；　and　say；　“Inkoos　Indanda；　you　are　here；　I　am　here；　e　back　to　serve　you。”
I　have　seen　the　thing　done。　As　a　young　man　Sir　William　Sergeaunt　was　in　South　Africa　—　I　forget　how　or　when　—　and　then　had　a　Zulu　servant；　a　Mazook。　He　departed　and　thirty　years　later　returned。　His　Mazook　appeared　from　some　kraal；　of　which　he　was　then　the　head；　and　was　with　him　during　all　his　stay。　I　saw　him　there。
Or　if　my　Mazook　should　be　dead；　as　well　he　may　be；　and　if　there　is　any　future　for　us　mortals；　and　if　Zulus　and　white　men　go　to　the　same　place　—　as　why　should　they　not？　—　then　I　am　quite　certain　that　when　I　reach　that　shore　I　shall　see　a　square…faced；　dusky　figure　seated　on　it；　and　hear　the　words；　“Inkoos　Indanda；　here　am　I；　Mazooku；　who　once　was　your　man；　waiting　to　serve　you。”　For　such　is　the　nature　of　the　poor　despised　Zulu；　at　any　rate　towards　him　whom　he　may　chance　to　love。
I　do　not　know　that　I　felt　anything　more　in　leaving　Africa　than　the　saying　of　good…bye　to　this　loving；　half…wild　man。　I　remember　that　I　made　him　some　present　when　we　parted　—　I　think　it　was　a　cow；　but　am　not　sure。
On　Wednesday；　the　31st　of　August；　from　the　deck　of　the　Dunkeld；　we　saw　the　shores　of　Natal　recede　from　our　sight　for　ever。
Chapter　9
Return　to　England　—　Called　to　Bar　—　Wrote　“Cetewayo　and　his　White　Neighbours”　—　Reception　of　the　work　—　Why　H。　R。　H。　took　to　writing　fiction　—　“Dawn”　—　J。　Cordy　Jeaffreson　—　Press　notices　encouraging　but　sales　small　at　first　—　“The　Witch’s　Head”　—　Quiet　life　at　Ditchingham　—　Letters　from　Shepstone　—　Life　in　London　—　Practice　in　Divorce　Court。
On　our　return　to　England　in　the　autumn　of　1881　we　went　to　stay　at　Bradenham　for　a　while　and　rested　after　our　African　adventures。　I　do　not　remember　anythin