"That is all done," he said to his friends. "Now we will get rid of our
remaining stores which the men brought up yesterday. I propose that
instead of selling them we divide them into three and send them down to
the three cavalry messes. I am sorry we have not a few bottles of
spirits left, but the tea, and chocolate, and sugar, and so on, will be
very welcome to them."
The six natives carried the things down, and brought back with them
notes of warm thankfulness from the colonels.
"How about our saddles, Chris?"
"We can take them with us to Maritzburg. We can hand over the kettles
and so on, and the waterproof sheets, to Brookfield's men who remain
here, and the blankets can be given to the natives when we get there."
The next day, after a hearty farewell from Captain Brookfield and their
comrades, who sent them off with a ringing cheer, the party started,
marching by the side of one of the waggons that had brought up stores;
in this they placed their saddles and blankets. When they arrived at
Chieveley they had no difficulty in getting a place in a covered truck.
In this they travelled to Maritzburg. Here they stayed for three or four
days; then, after making a handsome present in addition to what they had
promised to the natives, and further gladdening their hearts by giving
them their blankets, Chris and those who were going down said good-bye
to Carmichael and his party, with hopes that they would all meet again
at Johannesburg before long.
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