ll his news in there."

"But nearer than that. Here, I mean."

The boy grinned slyly.

"U Jobo is preaching around the locations. _Whau_! but he is telling
news to the people--great news."

This, as we have said, was the native name of that estimable Ethiopian
apostle the Rev Job Magwegwe. Thornhill had heard of him.

"Why does not the Government send the police after him, _Nkose_?" went
on the other. "Or are the ears of the Government stopped? Or those of
Ntwezi?"

Thornhill laughed.

"You are not a kolwa [Christian native] then, Gomfu?"

The other clicked contemptuously.

"I am not a fool, _Nkose_, The _Abafundisi_ [Missionaries] preach to us
what they do not believe themselves. They say that their God made all
men equal, black and white, but what is that but childishness? Equal?
_Nkose_--who ever heard of a white man becoming the servant of a native,
but it would take years to count the natives in all the land who are the
servants of white men. Equal? _Whau_!"

"That is so, Gomfu."

"_Nkose_. Again. What if the son of--I do not say a common man but of
a chief such as Tongwana, or Zavula, were to send _lobola_ for the
daughter of an _umfundisi_, and many of them have daughters--what would
be the answer? Would it not be anger at a native presuming to dream of
marriage with the daughter of a white man?--of a white man who preaches
that black and white are all equal? Certainly it would, and rightly.
And we natives who are not fools know this. We want no _Abafundisi_
telling as childishness, particularly Amafengu, such as U Jobo. Equal!
_Hau_!"

"_Nkosazana_!"

The latter in salutation of Edala, who appeared at the door.

"Father, when you've quite done trying to make Gomfu a worse heathen
than he is already, and, incidentally, than you are yourself, it might
occur to you to bring in the post-bag," she said.

"Gomfu's quaint theology has the merit of being logical, eke simple," he
answered coming back into the room. "Here's the bag. Where's the key?
Now then," he went on, having unlocked the bag and turned out its
contents. "_Graphic. Country Life. Natal Witness. Eastern Province
Herald_--that's enough journalism. Letters? None for you. M-m. One,
two, three--all business Four--no. Number 4 isn't biz, but--yes it is--
it's English. They make our stamps and the English ones so much alike
now that there's no telling the difference. Now I wonder who that can
be from," scrutinis