bove.
Sapazani, the powerful chief of that section, was the most conservative
of Zulus, and discouraged any sort of aping of European ways. But if
Ben Halse's trade suffered in this respect it more than gained in
others.

Now Verna, for all her attractiveness, was a shrewd and practical young
woman, and assisted her father materially in the management of his
trade. He did more than a little cattle raising and cattle jobbing, and
thus had his hands more free than would otherwise have been the case.
In fact, it was a prevalent idea among the people that they could always
get more favourable terms in the inevitable haggle when "U' Ben"
happened to be presiding at the receipt of custom than when the same
held good of his daughter.

By the way, there was a curious jagged hole in the thin plank lining of
the corrugated iron wall of the room, about a yard to the right of the
door and less than twice that measure from the ground, and its history
was this: One day a Zulu had come in to buy things. He was a big man
and unringed, and hailed from the other end of the country. Moreover,
he had been away working at Johannesburg and so had lost much of his
inherent awe of the white man, and still more of the white woman. This
fellow's demeanour, at first bold and off-hand, became insolent, even
threatening. Verna was alone, and he knew it.

He flung down a pair of boots that he was haggling over, flung it
violently onto the counter, so that one of the pair almost hit her,
using the while loud and violent language. But he was out of his
reckoning.

There crashed forth a loud report, and with a whizz and a scatter of
splinters the bullet pierced the wall planking, but so near that the
aggressive ruffian felt the breath of it on his arm.

"That for a warning, _ishinga_," [rascal], said the girl. "The next
carries death."

The startled savage stood as though petrified. He stared at the tall,
fine, commanding figure. He took in every detail--the compression of
the lips, the hard glint in the dilated eyes, the uncommonly
dangerous-looking "bull-dog" revolver, held in a firm grip without a
tremor, and pointing direct at his chest. Then he uttered a single
word--subdued, respectful--

"_Inkosikazi_!"

Verna looked him steadily in the face for a moment. Then she said--

"Now go. Go, do you hear, before I change my mind. People who insult
me are not safe. Go."

And he went.

Some time afterwards she mentioned the