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prester john-µÚ27ÕÂ

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'For¡¡God's¡¡sake¡¡get¡¡me¡¡some¡¡food£»'¡¡I¡¡said¡£

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'Baas£»'¡¡he¡¡said£»¡¡'I¡¡come¡¡from¡¡Ratitswan£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡have¡¡a¡¡message¡¡for¡¡you¡£'

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'I¡¡don't¡¡know¡¡your¡¡name£»'¡¡I¡¡said¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Kaffir£»¡¡'but¡¡you¡¡are¡¡a¡¡good¡¡fellow¡£¡¡¡¡When¡¡I¡¡get¡¡out¡¡of¡¡this¡¡business¡¡I¡¡won't¡¡forget¡¡you¡£'

'There¡¡is¡¡another¡¡message£»¡¡Baas£»'¡¡he¡¡said¡£¡¡¡¡'It¡¡is¡¡written¡¡on¡¡paper¡¡in¡¡a¡¡strange¡¡tongue¡£¡¡¡¡Turn¡¡your¡¡head¡¡to¡¡the¡¡bush£»¡¡and¡¡see£»¡¡I¡¡will¡¡hold¡¡it¡¡inside¡¡the¡¡bowl£»¡¡that¡¡you¡¡may¡¡read¡¡it¡£'

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I¡¡asked¡¡the¡¡Kaffir¡¡how¡¡far¡¡it¡¡was¡¡to¡¡Dupree's¡¡Drift£»¡¡and¡¡was¡¡told¡¡three¡¡hours'¡¡march¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡should¡¡get¡¡there¡¡after¡¡the¡¡darkening¡£¡¡It¡¡seemed¡¡he¡¡had¡¡permission¡¡to¡¡ride¡¡with¡¡me¡¡instead¡¡of¡¡'Mwanga£»¡¡who¡¡had¡¡no¡¡love¡¡for¡¡the¡¡job¡£¡¡¡¡How¡¡he¡¡managed¡¡this¡¡I¡¡do¡¡not¡¡know£»¡¡but¡¡Arcoll's¡¡men¡¡had¡¡their¡¡own¡¡ways¡¡of¡¡doing¡¡things¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡undertook¡¡to¡¡set¡¡me¡¡free¡¡when¡¡the¡¡first¡¡shot¡¡was¡¡fired¡¡at¡¡the¡¡ford¡£¡¡¡¡Meantime¡¡I¡¡bade¡¡him¡¡leave¡¡me£»¡¡to¡¡avert¡¡suspicion¡£

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