more than the men, but they are certainly not thrifty. They are kind to
travellers (provided they come on horseback and not on foot); but their
kindness is too often spoiled by the dirt and general undesirability of
the atmosphere within their dwellings. A traveller can appreciate a cup
of coffee after a long ride; but he likes to have it in a clean dish,
and it rather damps his ardour when he finds that he is expected to
take the mud along with it.

[Illustration: WAGGON ON PONTOON OVER RIVER.]

In this connection there is still another story. This story is related
by a commercial traveller, and in order to establish its
authenticity it is only necessary to remark that it has been related
by at least six different commercial travellers, and in every case the
incident has occurred within the experience of each and all.

The commercial gentleman (no matter which one) having been overtaken
on the road by a severe thunderstorm, and arriving at a spruit which
he found he could not then cross with safety, put back to a small
farmhouse near by. After much parley on both sides, the Boer who owned
the place agreed to give the traveller and his driver shelter for the
night, provided they would sleep in an outhouse, where the horses
could also be put up. Being only too glad to obtain shelter of any
sort, the traveller readily accepted the offer. At this point each
traveller who has told the story breaks into a graphic description of
how he passed the night, and how many rats he and the driver killed,
and how much of his clothes they devoured, and how he couldn't sleep
because of the presence of pigs and fowls in addition, which seemed
to resent the invasion. Then comes the dawn of another day, and, which
is more important (before its appearance), breakfast. A cloth was