“He fixed things for me lovelily at Simons-Town.
Had the biggest sort of pull—even for a
Lord. At first they treated me as a harmless lunatic;
but after a while I got ’em to let me keep some
of their books. If I was left alone in the world
with the British system of bookkeeping, I’d reconstruct
the whole British Empire—beginning with
the Army. Yes, I’m one of their most trusted
accountants, and I’m paid for it. As much
as a dollar a day. I keep that. I’ve
earned it, and I deduct it from the cost of my board.
When the war’s over I’m going to pay up
the balance to the British Government. Yes, Sir,
that’s how I regard the proposition.
“Adrian? Oh, he left for Umballa four months
back. He told me he was going to apply to join
the National Scouts if the war didn’t end in
a year. ’Tisn’t in nature for one
Dutchman to shoot another, but if Adrian ever meets
up with Steyn there’ll be an exception to the
rule. Ye—es, when the war’s
over it’ll take some of the British Army to protect
Steyn from his fellow-patriots. But the war won’t
be over yet awhile. He that believeth don’t
hurry, as Isaiah says. The ministers and the school-teachers
and the rebs’ll have a war all to themselves
long after the north is quiet.
“I’m pleased with this country—it’s
big. Not so many folk on the ground as in America.
There’s a boom coming sure. I’ve talked
it over with Adrian, and I guess I shall buy a farm
somewhere near Bloemfontein and start in cattle-raising.
It’s big and peaceful—a ten-thousand-acre
farm. I could go on inventing there, too.
I’ll sell my Zigler, I guess. I’ll
offer the patent rights to the British Government;
and if they do the ‘reelly-now-how-interesting’
act over her, I’ll turn her over to Captain
Mankeltow and his friend the Lord. They’ll
pretty quick find some Gussie, or Teddie, or Algie
who can get her accepted in the proper quarters.
I’m beginning to know my English.
“And now I’ll go in swimming, and read
the papers after lunch. I haven’t had such
a good time since Willie died.” He pulled
the blue shirt over his head as the bathers returned
to their piles of clothing, and, speaking through
the folds, added:
“But if you want to realise your assets, you
should lease the whole proposition to America for
ninety-nine years.”
THE BONDS OF DISCIPLINE
POSEIDON’S LAW
When the robust and brass-bound man commissioned
first for sea
His fragile raft, Poseidon laughed, and,
“Mariner,” said he,
“Behold, a Law immutable I lay on
thee and thine,
That never shall ye act or tell a falsehood
at my shrine.
“Let Zeus adjudge your landward
kin, whose votive meal and salt
At easy-cheated altars win oblivion for
the fault,
But ye the unhoodwinked waves shall test—the
immediate gulfs condemn—
Unless ye owe the Fates a jest, be slow
to jest with them.
Copyrights
Traffics and Discoveries from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.
