The　portable　forge　and　the　ox…mill　pleased　Dick　Dale　most；　but　the
  partitioned　bedsteads　charmed　Phoebe。　　She　said；〃　Oh；　doctor；　how
  can　one　man's　head　hold　so　many　things？　　If　there's　a　man　on　earth
  I　can　trust　my　husband　with；　'tis　you。　　But　if　things　go　cross　up
  there；　promise　me　you　will　come　back　at　once　and　cast　in　your　lot
  with　us。　　We　have　got　money　and　stock；　and　you　have　got　headpiece；
  we　might　do　very　well　together。　　Indeed；　indeed　we　might。　　Promise
  me。　　Oh；　do；　please；　promise　me！〃
  〃I　promise　you。〃
  And　on　this　understanding；　Staines　and　Falcon　were　equipped　with
  rifles；　pickaxe；　shovels；　waterproofs；　and　full　saddle…bags；　and
  started；　with　many　shakings　of　the　hand；　and　many　tears　from
  Phoebe；　for　the　diamond　washings。
  CHAPTER　XXI。
  Phoebe's　tears　at　parting　made　Staines　feel　uncomfortable；　and　he
  said　so。
  〃Pooh；　pooh！〃　said　Falcon；　〃crying　for　nothing　does　a　woman　good。〃
  Christopher　stared　at　him。
  Falcon's　spirits　rose　as　they　proceeded。　　He　was　like　a　boy　let
  loose　from　school。　　His　fluency　and　charm　of　manner　served；
  however；　to　cheer　a　singularly　dreary　journey。
  The　travellers　soon　entered　on　a　vast　and　forbidding　region；　that
  wearied　the　eye；　at　their　feet　a　dull；　rusty　carpet　of　dried　grass
  and　wild　camomile；　with　pale…red　sand　peeping　through　the　burnt　and
  scanty　herbage。　　On　the　low　mounds；　that　looked　like　heaps　of
  sifted　ashes；　struggled　now　and　then　into　sickliness　a　ragged；
  twisted　shrub。　　There　were　flowers　too；　but　so　sparse；　that　they
  sparkled　vainly　in　the　colorless　waste；　which　stretched　to　the
  horizon。　　The　farmhouses　were　twenty　miles　apart；　and　nine　out　of
  ten　of　them　were　new　ones　built　by　the　Boers　since　they　degenerated
  into　white　savages：　mere　huts；　with　domed　kitchens　behind　them。　　In
  the　dwelling…house　the　whole　family　pigged　together；　with　raw　flesh
  drying　on　the　rafters；　stinking　skins　in　a　corner；　parasitical
  vermin　of　all　sorts　blackening　the　floor；　and　particularly　a　small；
  biting；　and　odoriferous　tortoise；　compared　with　which　the　insect　a
  London　washerwoman　brings　into　your　house　in　her　basket；　is　a
  stroke　with　a　featherand　all　this　without　the　excuse　of　penury；
  for　many　of　these　were　shepherd　kings；　sheared　four　thousand
  fleeces　a　year；　and　owned　a　hundred　horses　and　horned　cattle。
  These　Boers　are　compelled；　by　unwritten　law；　to　receive　travellers
  and　water　their　cattle；　but　our　travellers；　after　one　or　two
  experiences；　ceased　to　trouble　them；　for；　added　to　the　dirt；　the
  men　were　sullen；　the　women　moody；　silent；　brainless；　the　whole
  reception　churlish。　　Staines　detected　in　them　an　uneasy
  consciousness　that　they　had　descended；　in　more　ways　than　one；　from
  a　civilized　race；　and　the　superior　bearing　of　a　European　seemed　to
  remind　them　what　they　had　been；　and　might　have　been；　and　were　not；
  so；　after　an　attempt　or　two；　our　adventurers　avoided　the　Boers；　and
  tried　the　Kafirs。　　They　found　the　savages　socially　superior；　though
  their　moral　character　does　not　rank　high。
  The　Kafir　cabins　they　entered　were　caves；　lighted　only　by　the　door；
  but　deliciously　cool；　and　quite　clean；　the　floors　of　puddled　clay
  or　ants'　nests；　and　very　clean。　　On　entering　these　cool　retreats；
  the　flies　that　had　tormented　them　shirked　the　cool　grot；　and　buzzed
  off　to　the　nearest　farm　to　batten　on　congenial　foulness。　　On　the
  fat；　round；　glossy　babies；　not　a　speck　of　dirt；　whereas　the　little
  Boers　were　cakes　thereof。　　The　Kafir　would　meet　them　at　the　door；
  his　clean　black　face　all　smiles　and　welcome。　　The　women　and　grown
  girls　would　fling　a　spotless　handkerchief　over　their　shoulders　in　a
  moment；　and　display　their　snowy　teeth；　in　unaffected　joy　at　sight
  of　an　Englishman。
  At　one　of　these　huts；　one　evening；　they　met　with　something　St。　Paul
  ranks　above　cleanliness　even；　viz。；　Christianity。　　A　neighboring
  lion　had　just　eaten　a　Hottentot　faute　de　mieux；　and　these　good
  Kafirs　wanted　the　Europeans　not　to　go　on　at　night　and　be　eaten　for
  dessert。　　But　they　could　not　speak　a　word　of　English；　and
  pantomimic　expression　exists　in　theory　alone。　　In　vain　the　women
  held　our　travellers　by　the　coat…tails；　and　pointed　to　a　distant
  wood。　　In　vain　Kafir　pere　went　on　all…fours　and　growled　sore。　　But
  at　last　a　savage　youth　ran　to　the　kitchenfor　they　never　cook　in
  the　houseand　came　back　with　a　brand；　and　sketched；　on　the　wall　of
  the　hut；　a　lion　with　a　mane　down　to　the　ground；　and　a　saucer　eye；
  not　loving。　　The　creature's　paw　rested　on　a　hat　and　coat　and
  another　fragment　or　two　of　a　European。　　The　rest　was　fore…
  shortened；　or　else　eaten。
  The　picture　completed；　the　females　looked；　approved；　and　raised　a
  dismal　howl。
  〃A　lion　on　the　road；〃　said　Christopher　gravely。
  Then　the　undaunted　Falcon　seized　the　charcoal；　and　drew　an
  Englishman　in　a　theatrical　attitude；　left　foot　well　forward；　firing
  a　gun；　and　a　lion　rolling　head　over　heels　like　a　buck　rabbit；　and
  blood　squirting　out　of　a　hole　in　his　perforated　carcass。
  The　savages　saw；　and　exulted。　　They　were　so　off　their　guard　as　to
  confound　representation　with　fact；　they　danced　round　the　white
  warrior；　and　launched　him　to　victory。
  〃Aha！〃　said　Falcon；　〃I　took　the　shine　out　of　their　lion；　didn't　I？〃
  〃You　did：　and　once　there　was　a　sculptor　who　showed　a　lion　his
  marble　group；　a　man　trampling　a　lion；　extracting　his　tongue；　and　so
  on；　but　report　says　it　DID　NOT　CONVINCE　THE　LION。〃
  〃Why；　no；　a　lion　is　not　an　ass。　　But；　for　your　comfort；　there　ARE
  no　lions　in　this　part　of　the　world。　　They　are　myths。　　There　were
  lions　in　Africa。　　But　now　they　are　all　at　the　Zoo。　　And　I　wish　I
  was　there　too。〃
  〃In　what　characterof　a　discontented　animalwith　every　blessing？
  They　would　not　take　you　in；　too　common　in　England。　　Hallo！　this　is
  something　new。　　What　lots　of　bushes！　　We　should　not　have　much
  chance　with　a　lion　here。〃
  〃There　ARE　no　lions：　it　is　not　the　Zoo；〃　said　Falcon；　but　he
  spurred　on　faster。
  The　country；　however；　did　not　change　its　feature；　bushes　and　little
  acacias　prevailed；　and　presently　dark　forms　began　to　glide　across
  at　intervals。
  The　travellers　held　their　breath；　and　pushed　on；　but　at　last　their
  horses　flagged；　so　they　thought　it　best　to　stop　and　light　a　fire
  and　stand　upon　their　guard。
  They　did　so；　and　Falcon　sat　with　his　rifle　cocked；　while　Staines
  boiled　coffee；　and　they　drank　it；　and　after　two　hours'　halt；　pushed
  on；　and　at　last　the　bushes　got　more　scattered；　and　they　were　on　the
  dreary　plain　again。　　Falcon　drew　the　rein；　with　a　sigh　of　relief；
  and　they　walked　their　horses　side　by　side。
  〃Well；　what　has　become　of　the　lions？〃　said　Falcon　jauntily。　　He
  turned　in　his　saddle；　and　saw　a　large　animal　stealing　behind　them
  with　its　belly　to　the　very　earth；　and　eyes　hot　coals；　he　uttered　an
  eldrich　screech；　fired　both　barrels；　with　no　more　aim　than　a　baby；
  and　spurred　away；　yelling　like　a　demon。　　The　animal　fled　another
  way；　in　equal　trepidation　at　those　tongues　of　flame　and　loud
  reports；　and　Christopher's　horse　reared　and　plunged；　and　deposited
  him　promptly　on　the　sward；　but　he　held　the　bridle；　mounted　again；
  and　rode　after　his　companion。　　A　stern　chase　is　a　long　chase；　and
  for　that　or　some　other　reason　he　could　never　catch　him　again　till
  sunrise。　　Being　caught；　he　ignored　the　lioness；　with　cool　hauteur：
  he　said　he　had　ridden　on　to　find　comfortable　quarters：　and　craved
  thanks。
  This　was　literally　the　only　incident　worth　recording　that　the
  companions　met　with　in　three　hundred　miles。
  On　the　sixth　day　out；　towards　afternoon；　they　found　by　inquiring
  they　were　near　the　diamond　washings；　and　the　short　route　was
  pointed　out　by　an　exceptionally　civil　Boer。
  But　Christopher's　eye　had　lighted　upon　a　sort　of　chain　of　knolls；
  or　little　round　hills；　devoid　of　vegetation；　and　he　told　Falcon　he
  would　like　to　inspect　these；　before　going　farther。
  〃Oh；〃　said　the　Boer；　〃they　are　not　on　my　farm；　thank　goodness！　they
  are　on　my　cousin　Bulteel's；〃　and　he　pointed　to　a　large　white　house
  about　four　miles　distant；　and　quite　off　the　road。　　Nevertheless；
  Staines　insisted　on　going　to　it。　　But　first　they　made　up　to　one　of
  these　knolls；　and　examined　it；　it　was　about　thirty　feet　high；　and
  not　a　vestige　of　herbage　on　it；　the　surface　was　composed　of　sand
  and　of　lumps　of　gray　limestone　very　hard；　diversified　with　lots　of
  quartz；　mica；　and　other　old　formations。
  Staines　got　to　the　top　of　it　with　some　difficulty；　and　examined　the
  surface　all　over。　　He　came　down　again；　and　said；　〃All　these　little
  hills　mark　hot　volcanic　actionwhy；　they　are　like　boiling　earth…
  bubbleswhich　is　the　very　thing；　under　certain　conditions；　to　turn
  carbonate　of　lime　into　diamonds。　　Now　here　is　plenty　of　limestone
  unnaturally　hard；　and　being　in　a　diamond　country；　I　can　fancy　no
  place　more　likely　to　be　the　matrix　than　these　earth…bubbles。　　Let
  us　tether　the　horses；　and　use　our　shovels。〃
  They　did　so；　and　found　one　or　two　common　crystals；　and　some　jasper；
  and　a　piece　of　chalcedony　all　in　little　bubbles；　but　no　diamond。
  Falcon　said　it　was　wasting　time。
  Just　then　the　proprietor；　a　gigantic；　pasty　colonist；　came　up；　with
  his　pipe；　and　stood　calmly　looking　on。　　Staines　came　down；　and　made
  a　sort　of　apology。　　Bulteel　smiled　quietly；　and　asked　what　harm
  they　could　do　him；　raking　that　rubbish。