Page:A Treasury of South African Poetry.djvu/35

 JIM.

(AN INCIDENT.)

the Kei to Umzimkulu &emsp;We chartered to ride, But before we reached Umtata &emsp;Jim turned in and died. By Bashee I buried Jim. Ah! but I was fond of him; An' but for the niggers grinning, &emsp;I'd—yes, I'd have cried.

'Twas a weary trek through Griqualand, &emsp;And me all alone; Three teams and a dozen niggers &emsp;To boss on my own. And I felt a need for Jim; It was just the job for him, Hazin' the teams and the niggers, &emsp;Hard grit to the bone.

I lost a load at Kokstad: &emsp;An axle fell through; I hadn't heart to tinker it, &emsp;So pushed on with two. If I'd only had old Jim! Axles never broke with him; But I never could handle waggons &emsp;Like Jim used to do.