principally trading details. Incidentally he let drop that Mr
Japp had had several assistants in the last few years. I asked
him why they had left, and he hesitated.

'It's a lonely place, and they didn't like the life. You see,
there are few white men near, and young fellows want society.
They complained, and were moved on. But the firm didn't
think the more of them.'

I told him I had come out with the new schoolmaster.

'Yes,' he said reflectively, 'the school. That's been vacant
pretty often lately. What sort of fellow is this Wardlaw? Will
he stay, I wonder?'

'From all accounts,' I said, 'Blaauwildebeestefontein does
not seem popular.'

'It isn't. That's why we've got you out from home. The
colonial-born doesn't find it fit in with his idea of comfort. He
wants society, and he doesn't like too many natives. There's
nothing up there but natives and a few back-veld Dutchmen
with native blood in them. You fellows from home are less set
on an easy life, or you wouldn't be here.'

There was something in Mr Colles's tone which made me
risk another question.

'What's the matter with the place? There must be more
wrong with it than loneliness to make everybody clear out. I