THE BOY AND THE FOOL 271 said to be heirlooms, and it seemed perhaps sinful to bargain for them. However, the Nuers preferred the three skeins of blue beads which I offered them in exchange, deeming themselves much the gainers, and all parties were satisfied.

My partiality for these curiosities having become known—those common, ordinary, everyday things which the foolish white man gives beautiful blue beads for—a youngster thrust under my notice an inferior, exceedingly old one, having little but its peculiar shape to recommend it to me. I waved it away, not requiring it ; but the youth was so anxious, that out of sheer kindness of heart I put my hand in my pocket and gave him an empty brass cartridge-case from my shot-gun, of far less intrinsic value than that valuable object of barter, an empty '303 case. The transaction had been watched with breathless interest, and a shout of derision went up on the completion of the bargain. The black bystanders roared at the fool—yes, but / was the fool ! I had been " done brown " by a bit of a boy, who had palmed off on me, in exchange for very valuable consideration, a piece of most miserable rubbish I It was apparent that a very large proportion of the people had never before set eyes on a white man. The nearest approach to any kind of familiarity—and then it was not intended as such was when one would touch my unbuttoned shirt in order to come to some sort of conclusion as to whether or not I were white all over. The fact