Michael Dun - 10. Chapter 10

Peter sighed as he sank into a tub of warm foaming water. “It has been a rough, long journey. But we have done well chapsies. We have certainly been brave, rescuing our friends from a thorough thrashing.”

“But Michael is not convinced of your contract’s integrity.” Gordon Atkinson said, puffing away at a cigar in his tub.

“A number of minor changes and we will have him in our full confidence once again. In the meantime, we shall consider ourselves partners and continue as such. You two will dig and I shall sell. You will each receive a fair cut.”

Gordon remained silent, but John Mansfield, applying a brush to his legs, agreed with Peter.

John Mansfield had overheard a family conversation that gold had been discovered on the Rand as early as 1884. An adventurous persona developed and he withdrew his savings to prove to Gordon that his intentions of getting to Africa were of a serious nature. He did not want simply to seek gold, he wanted to witness and be a part of the trees and the rocks and the animals of Africa. He wanted total freedom to explore the hard hues of a harsh, strange land and its people, and perhaps die in the process. Gordon wanted gold and mentioned it to Peter Sheffield who organised the boat tickets for the three of them. Now it seemed that Mr. John Mansfield had changed sides. There was no mention of digging.

Peter asked, “You disagree, Mr. Atkinson?”

Gordon said, “You did not mention in the contract we were to dig. We were to partner you in a buy and sell operation as I recall.”

“Some one must dig, chapsy. I have thought about it and decided that you will dig. Once we have the necessary amount of gold and cashed it in, we will take the digging problem from there. The aim here is to get rich as quickly as possible then quit chapsies.”

John Mansfield washed his hands then lifted them, soft and lilly pink, into the air. “I wonder what these would look like with a callus or two?”

Peter smiled, leaning back into the warm water of the tub. “Now there’s a chapsy. Perhaps we should elect Gordon to be the sole digger while we run things. He would make an exceptional digger, what do you say old chap?” Peter laughed out loud. John Mansfield joined him.

Peter had lied to Gordon in the most despicable way. He went from happy to sad in moments. He bathed in silence, deep in thought, cut off from Peter and John’s voice somewhere in the background. Peter had stolen his money and reneged on a contract. He wanted desperately to be in the arms of his darling mother in England. But that was not possible, she was thousands of miles away.

Peter and John dressed before Gordon emerged from his tub. They were all three cleanly shaven, dressed in a fresh set of clothes, as though the couple of hundred miles they had traveled from Cape Town had little effect on them. The Boer woman collected the rent in advance and showed them to their rooms.

Did Gordon Atkinson regret this journey? After all, Peter Sheffield had deceived him. Something he had never expected to happen in the six months of knowing him. The night he met Peter Sheffield was as clear as yesterday’s memories. The man was drunk, passed out on the docks on a cold night in London. He lifted the man off the ground and they stumbled beneath the gas lit streets into a built up area of close, shabby buildings. A door in the hallway opened and Mrs. Seamus O’Hara, Gordon’s neighbour, peered out. She wore a shawl over her head and a large mole on her nose and she exclaimed dismally, “ ’Nother of yer drunk mates, Mr. Atkinson? This will not do. This will not do at all…!”

Gordon slammed his door shut and placed Peter gently on the bed. He slept on the floor that night. In the morning, Peter wanted to know where he was.

“You are safe.” Gordon said. “You passed out on the docks last night.”

“Passed out? Who are you?”

“Gordon Atkinson.”

“Peter Sheffield. Well, Mr. Atkinson, did we do it?”

“Do what?”

“Have sex?”

Gordon was too shocked to utter a meaningful response, finally he said, “We most certainly did not!”

“Well then, chapsy, why on earth are you looking so serious? What time is it?”

“Dawn.”

“I must be off, chapsy. Business and all that.”

“Business on a Sunday?”

“Sunday? Well then we have all the time in the world.”

Gordon came out of this train of thought with John calling out at him from behind the door. Without hesitating he opened and John waltzed in, heading towards the far wall.

“Wonderful digs, dear heart. The wall paper is embossed, fancy that!”

“What is it?”

“Time for breakfast. Come…come. No dillydallying now.”

#

Michael and Charlie finished breakfast and were just about to leave when Peter, Gordon and John joined them. Peter exclaiming at the top of his voice that he had no idea they would be in the same hotel.

The wide-eyed Boer lady seemed to be everywhere, even serving at breakfast.

She approached the table and commented that it was a pleasure serving them, when Michael asked, “May I be so bold as to ask, dear lady, what news of the goldfields you have heard.”

“Well, I have heard that Mr. Robinson, a diamond dealer, has secured rights to Mrs. Oosthuizen’s farm, Langlaagte. He is buying land wherever it is available. But there is another man who has interests in this gold, Mr. Cecil John Rhodes of de Beers. It seems he is the more cautious of the two.”

Michael had his first useful bit of information. Robinson and Rhodes, two most formidable men on a fortune seeking rampage in Africa. Now that was something to follow. Fortune was on their side and nothing could go wrong, for whatever these two gentlemen touched, turned to gold. The Boer lady offered Peter, Gordon and John the same breakfast as Michael and Charlie which they heartily accepted. Fresh made bread, a jug of farm milk, eggs and homemade beef sausages. She turned and walked toward the kitchen.

Peter’s eyes were wide and serious as he said, “This certainly means that the prospect for success on the Rand is achievable. This is why we should pool our resources and become successful. Land is precious, chapsies. I say we should go in there and make a fortune. I have revised the business plan, Michael. Perhaps you should see it before making another negative decision…”

“I thought we had made it quite clear we do not want to venture into business with you, Mr. Sheffield. Considering the dear ladies words that Robinson and Rhodes are grabbing land as fast as a British hare chase with dogs following at a distance, well, the hare is sometimes so afraid, yet jumps in where no hare fears to tread and there you go, the dogs are onto him. The dogs will follow. Alone out there will simply be a futile experience. Slim chances of hitting pay dirt. But to be lied to in such a way…”

Peter Sheffield stood up at once. He was insulted and his manner turned confrontational. “We will leave now, Mr. Atkinson.” Peter whispered harshly. His face a glowing red.

“No, Mr. Sheffield, perhaps you should leave now. Both you and my so-called friend here. I have signed and paid you. Keep it. Once we get to the Rand I should like to go on, by myself.”

Michael spoke out loud. “Stop this! Stop this at once! Peter, the choice is ours to make. You may have saved us from an unfortunate situation in Colesburg but that does not mean that we are bound to sign a contract between us. Stop this harassment! This obsession!”

Peter thought for a moment. “Perhaps you are right. I should let this pass while my pride is still intact. Let me add, old chap, since meeting with you again, my life seems to have taken an unfortunate turn. I thought we could forge a friendship, instead, it has destroyed our friendship.”

Dare we differ? I think we just have. Gordon has free choice. If he so wishes to conclude his contract with you, allow him that. After all, he does not owe you a penny.”

“Enough, Mr. Dun. I reject your argument and all the ramifications involved. We do not require your services. Do we, Mr. Mansfield?”

John Mansfield nodded and smiled meekly.

But Michael had had enough. He stood up, excused himself from the table. Charlie and Gordon followed, and as they walked from the dining room, a quaint sniggering could be heard in the background. Nevertheless, Michael felt no shame. He had done the right thing.