urner answered,
wrinkling his forehead. "Well, I shouldn't think that any Boer would be
ass enough to search you. You don't look the sort of fellow to smuggle
arms; in fact, if you'll excuse my saying it, old chap, you're about the
most innocent-looking and harmless young Englishman of my acquaintance.
But I must be going now. So long, old horse, and mind you, if you think
of that revolver, or want anything sent up to Johnny's Burg, drop me a
line, and I'll get it forwarded to you somehow or other."

The two young fellows shook hands, nodded, and went their different
ways, Jack to various shops to carry out sundry small commissions with
which Mrs Hunter had entrusted him, and Fred Turner to his office.

On the following morning Jack was whirled to the station on a rickshaw,
and, leaping to the ground, paid the Zulu "boy", who, as a matter of
fact, was a fine, big, strapping man of about thirty-five, with a long
scar down the side of his face, evidently the result of some old assagai
stab, but which, curiously enough, served only to make a naturally
jovial expression all the more pronounced.

Then he carried his bag, which contained all his purchases, to the
train, and placed it on the seat he intended to occupy.

He had arrived a good ten minutes before the time announced for the
departure of the Pretoria and Johannesburg express, and employed it in
walking up to the engine, which he admired as a very fine specimen of
machinery. Then he strolled back along the platform, dodging the
passengers, who had now commenced to arrive in large numbers, and
finally reached the end of the train. It was rather longer than usual,
he noticed, and curiously enough, tacked on to the back of the guard's
van there were six trucks open and one closed, five of the former filled
with an assortment of wooden cases labelled "Sugar", while the sixth was
loaded with a consignment of finely-broken coal.

Having satisfied his curiosity, he returned to his carriage, first
ascertaining that the leather goods he had bought for Mr Hunter were on
board the train and duly labelled.

Soon the last of the passengers came tearing across to the train, ticket
in mouth and a heavy bag in each hand, and he had barely flung open a
door and sprung in before the engine gave a loud grunt and they were
off.

It was a long run up to the tip of Natal, and the latter part of it
somewhat slow and tedious, in spite of occasional snatches of lovely
scenery;