Nephew Allan, you who are a brave man, are afraid of this journey.

Now, why is that, I wonder?
Ah! I have it.

I had forgotten.

You are to be married to-morrow morning to a very pretty girl, and it is not natural that you should wish to spend the next fortnight in Zululand.

Don't you see, brothers, he wants to get out of it because he is going to be married, as it is natural that he should, and therefore he tries to frighten us all?
When we were going to be married, should we have wished to ride away at once to visit some stinking savage?
Ach! I am glad I thought of that just as I was beginning to turn his gloomy colour, like a chameleon on a black hat, for it explains everything," and he struck his thigh with his big hand and burst into a roar of laughter.
All the company of Boers who stood around began to laugh also, uproariously, for this primitive joke appealed to them.