profitable export. There was no lack of money either, and we
had to give very little credit, though it was often asked for. I
flung myself into the work, and in a few weeks had been all
round the farms and locations. At first Japp praised my energy,
for it left him plenty of leisure to sit indoors and drink. But
soon he grew suspicious, for he must have seen that I was in a
fair way to oust him altogether. He was very anxious to know
if I had seen Colles in Durban, and what the manager had
said. 'I have letters,' he told me a hundred times, 'from Mr
Mackenzie himself praising me up to the skies. The firm
couldn't get along without old Peter Japp, I can tell you.' I
had no wish to quarrel with the old man, so I listened politely
to all he said. But this did not propitiate him, and I soon found
him so jealous as to be a nuisance. He was Colonial-born and
was always airing the fact. He rejoiced in my rawness, and
when I made a blunder would crow over it for hours. 'It's no
good, Mr Crawfurd; you new chums from England may think
yourselves mighty clever, but we men from the Old Colony
can get ahead of you every time. In fifty years you'll maybe
learn a little about the country, but we know all about it before
we start.' He roared with laughter at my way of tying a
voorslag, and he made merry (no doubt with reason) on my
management of a horse. I kept my temper pretty well, but I
own there were moments when I came near to kicking Mr Japp.

The truth is he was a disgusting old ruffian. His character
was shown by his treatment of Zeeta. The poor child slaved all
day and did two men's work in keeping the household going.
She was an orphan from a mission station, and in Japp's
opinion a creature without rights. Hence he never spoke to her