第33部分(第6/7 頁)

our　investing　several　hardly　earned　hundreds　of　pounds　in　a　bunch　of　trek　oxen；　which　we　sent　down　to　the　bush…veld　to　recover。　A　month　or　two　later　came　a　message　from　the　man　who　had　taken　them　in；　to　the　effect　that　they　were　all　dead　of　eating　a　poisonous　herb　called　“tulip。”　We　often　wondered　if　“tulip”　really　accounted　for　their　disappearance　from　our　ken。

Also　we　made　hay；　rather　a　new　departure　in　that　district　in　our　time；　where　the　cattle　were　left　to　get　through　the　winter　as　best　they　could。　This　hay…making　was　a　profitable　business；　as　the　product　was　in　eager　demand　at　a　high　price。　I　remember　selling　the　result　of　about　a　month　of　my　own　work　for　250　pounds；　and　never　in　all　my　life　have　I　been　prouder　of　anything　than　I　was　of　earning　that　money；　literally　with　my　hands　and　by　the　sweat　of　my　brow。

This　was　the　process　—　one　that　would　make　my　English　steward　and　labourers　stare。　Indeed；　when　I　tell　the　former　of　it；　he　listens　politely　but；　I　am　quite　sure；　in　his　heart　believes　that　for　his　benefit　I　have　wandered　into　the　familiar　fields　of　fiction。　We　had　imported　a　hay…cutting　machine；　I　believe　one　of　the　first　seen　in　those　parts。　Having　selected　a　patch　of　level　veld　on　which　to　operate；　and　harnessed；　I　think；　three　horses　to　the　machine；　I　would　start　out　in　the　dewy　morning；　at　sunrise；　with　a　Kaffir　leader。　Then　we　menced　operations。　I　sat　on　that　dreadful　apparatus　and　managed　the　levers　and　knives；　the　Kaffir　led　the　horses。　The　grass　was　thick　and　plentiful；　so　thick　indeed　that　it　was　difficult　to　see　stones　and　ant…bear　holes。　The　former　must　be　avoided　by　sudden　and　Herculean　efforts；　or　the　knives　would　be　shattered。　As　for　the　latter；　occasionally　we　went　into　them　to　the　depth　of　two　feet　or　so；　and　then　the　trouble　was