Chapter 4 Gary and the leopard

As I have explained before, trains have to cross or pass one another on single tracks. On the section between Dett and Sawmills a train was put into the loop in order to cross another train.

When this happens the guard usually goes to the front of the train and uses the telephone to contact the control centre to ask what was happening.

Gary walked to the phone and asked control how far the opposing train was from them. He was told that it should be there in about 10 minutes time.

Gary walked back to his guards van and as he climbed into the van he was startled by a leopard that jumped between his legs onto the ground.

As I have also explained, sometimes goods were carried in the guards van, and in this case some chickens were carried in a woven basket.

When Gary walked away the leopard entered the van and was busy eating the chickens until Gary surprised him on his return.

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Chapter 12 The “cows” in the road

While sitting on the veranda of the single quarters one evening, I saw an astonishing sight. I must explain that Dett was a one-horse town but it did have a club and a hotel.

The hotel was situated on the “other” side of the railway line and the tar road led from the main road to Bulawayo and Wankie past the hotel, over the level crossing into the town of Dett.

The distance from the town to the hotel was approximately 100 yards and the road led past the single quarters.
In the moonlight we could see one of the Irishmen staggering back from the hotel after having had a few too many.

The problem was that he was walking through a herd of buffalo and swatting them on the rump to get out of the way. Astonishingly the buffalo were very calm and did not bother him.

As he came past us we asked him what he was doing and the reply was “Trying to get these cattle to move out of the way so I can get home!”

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