Gathering up the ends of my matches and, in case there should be any dust in the place that would show footmarks, flapping the stone floor behind me with my pocket handkerchief, I retired and continued my investigations of that wonderful marble deposit from the bottom of the quarry, to which, having re-arranged the bushes, I descended by another route, leaping like a buck from stone to stone.
It was just as well that I did so, for a few minutes later Dr.
Rodd appeared.
"Made a good job of your operation ?" I asked cheerfully.
"Pretty fair, thanks," he answered, "although that Kaffir tried to brain the nurse-man when he was coming out of the anesthetic.
But are you interested in geology ?" "A little," I replied, "that is if there is any chance of making money out of it, which there ought to be here, as this marble looks almost as good as that of Carrara.

But flint instruments are more my line, that is in an ignorant and amateur way, as I think they are in yours, for I saw some in your room.

Tell me, what do you think of this.

Is it a scraper ?" and I produced a stone out of my pocket which I had found a week before in the bush-veld.
At once he forgot his suspicions, of which I could see he arrived very full indeed.

This curious man, as it happened, was really fond of flint instruments, of which he knew a great deal.
"Did you find this here ?" he asked.
I led him several yards further from the mouth of the cave and pointed out the exact spot where I said I had picked it up amongst some quarry debris.