As
it was, I left him to himself a good deal, and he didn't like that
either. I think Attra was a jolly place, and the landing in surf
boats was no end of fun. Cathcart got beastly wet, and you should
have seen what a stew he was in because he'd put on a beautiful
white suit and it got spoilt. Well, things weren't very lively at
Attra at first, I'm bound to admit. No one seemed to know much
about the Bekwando Land Company, and the country that way was very
rough. However, we got sent out at last, and Cathcart, he simply
scoffed at the whole thing from the first. There was no proper
labour, not half enough machinery, and none of the right sort - and
the gradients and country between Bekwando and the sea were awful.
Cathcart made a few reports and we did nothing but kick our heels
about until HE came. You'll see I've written that in big letters,
and I tell you if ever a man deserved to have his name written
in capitals Scarlett Trent does, and the oddest part of it is he
knows you, and he was awfully decent to me all the time.
"Well, out he went prospecting, before he'd been in the country
twenty-four hours, and he came back quite cheerful. Then he spoke
to Cathcart about starting work, and Cathcart was a perfect beast.
He as good as told him that he'd come out under false pretences,
that the whole affair was a swindle and that the road could not be
made.
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