Копи царя Соломона
Our March into the Desert
ThenItoldhimthat,whenwecameback,ifoneofthosethingswasmissingIwouldkillhimandhispeoplebywitchcraft;andifwediedandhetriedtostealtheriflesIwouldcomeandhaunthim andturnhiscattlemadandhismilksourtilllifewasaweariness,andwouldmakethedevilsinthegunscomeoutandtalktohiminawayhedidnotlike,andgenerallygavehimagoodideaofjudgmenttocome. Afterthathepromisedtolookafterthemasthoughtheywerehisfather’sspirit. HewasaverysuperstitiousoldKafirandagreatvillain.
Havingthusdisposedofoursuperfluousgearwearrangedthekitwefive—SirHenry,Good,myself,Umbopa,andtheHottentotVentvögel—weretotakewithusonourjourney. Itwassmallenough,butdowhatwewouldwecouldnotgetitsweightdownunderaboutfortypoundsaman.Thisiswhatitconsistedof:—
Thethreeexpressriflesandtwohundredroundsofammunition.
ThetwoWinchesterrepeatingrifles(forUmbopaandVentvögel),withtwohundredroundsofcartridge.
FiveCochrane’swater-bottles,eachholdingfourpints.
Fiveblankets.
Twenty-fivepounds’weightofbiltong—i.e.sun-driedgameflesh.
Tenpounds’weightofbestmixedbeadsforgifts.
Aselectionofmedicine,includinganounceofquinine,andoneortwosmallsurgicalinstruments.
Ourknives,afewsundries,suchasacompass,matches,apocketfilter,tobacco,atrowel,abottleofbrandy,andtheclotheswestoodin.
Thiswasourtotalequipment,asmalloneindeedforsuchaventure,butwedarednotattempttocarrymore.
