y its owner had carried about with him for years--reminds me of
a conversation that I had with Mr. Quatermain long ago when I was his
guest in Yorkshire. The note itself is short; I think that he must have
jotted it down within an hour or two of the event to which it refers. It
runs thus:--

"I wonder whether in the 'Land Beyond' any recognition is granted
for acts of great courage and unselfish devotion--a kind of spiritual
Victoria Cross. If so I think it ought to be accorded to that poor old
savage, Magepa, as it would be if I had any voice in the matter. Upon my
word he has made me feel proud of humanity. And yet he was nothing but a
'nigger,' as so many call the Kaffirs."

For a while I, the Editor, wondered to what this entry could allude.
Then of a sudden it all came back to me. I saw myself, as a young man,
seated in the hall of Quatermain's house one evening after dinner. With
me were Sir Henry Curtis and Captain Good. We were smoking, and the
conversation had turned upon deeds of heroism. Each of us detailed such
acts as he could remember which had made the most impression on him.
When we had finished, old Allan said:--

"With your leave I'll tell you a story of what I think was one of the
bravest things I ever saw. It happened at the beginning of the Zulu War,
when the troops were marching into Zululand. Now at that time, as you
know, I was turning an honest penny transport-riding for the Government,
or rather for the military authorities. I hired them three wagons with
the necessary voorloopers and drivers, sixteen good salted oxen to each
wagon, and myself in charge of the lot. They paid me, well, never mind
how much--I am rather ashamed to mention the amount. The truth is that
the Imperial officers bought in a dear market during that Zulu War;
moreover, things were not always straight. I could tell you stories of
folk, not all of them Colonials, who got rich quicker than they ought,
commissions and that kind of thing. But perhaps these are better
forgotten. As for me, I asked a good price for my wagons, or rather for
the hire of them, of a very well-satisfied young gentleman in uniform
who had been exactly three weeks in the country, and to my surprise,
got it. But when I went to those in command and warned them what would
happen if they persisted in their way of advance, then in their pride
they would not listen to the old hunter and transport-rider, but
politely bowed me out. If they had, there