d have
been Sub-Inspector next time I met you."

"Don't chaff, Mr Halse. It's a sore point with me. The powers that be
are so dashed ungrateful."

"Well, anyway, come inside and have a refresher after your ride. I'll
send my boy to off-saddle for you. Scoff will be ready directly."

"We kept it back on purpose when we saw you toiling up there beyond
Lumisana," said Verna. "If the sirloin is overdone it's due to that."

"Sirloin! By Jove! that's royal!" cried Meyrick. Whereat Verna laughed
mischievously.

Assuredly Ben Halse's _menage_ kept up its reputation for hospitality,
thought these two guardians of law and order, as they sat there doing
full justice to the result of the midnight poaching expedition.

"Why, this beef is A1," pronounced Meyrick, beginning upon a second
helping. "You couldn't get anything like it even in Old England."

"I'm sure you couldn't," assented their host, with a touch of dryness,
while Verna's eyes danced. "The bottle's at your right elbow--help
yourself. What's the latest from down country, by the way?"

"All sorts of yarns. They are brewing _up_ for a row in Natal. There's
a sweep called Babatyana inclined to make trouble. Now, Mr Halse, you
ought to be an authority. If there's a bust-up there do you think it'll
spread up here?"

"Sure to. But, to what extent is another thing."

"How does feeling run in these parts? Sapazani, you know, doesn't carry
a particularly good reputation."

"Depends on how it's handled. By the way, if I were you I wouldn't name
names," for the boy had just come into the room to change the plates,
and the swift look of interest that had flashed across his face as he
caught the name of his chief was not lost on the experienced up-country
man. "This boy here belongs to his tribe, and he'll connect his chief's
name with the police uniform. See?"

Meyrick felt small, and said so.

"Did he hear? What an idiot I am. Well, Mr Halse, you were chaffing
me about the Sub-Inspectorship, but it's obvious I'm not ripe for it
yet."

Ben Halse passed it off with a tactful and consolatory remark, and they
talked about other things. Not until afterwards did it occur to Meyrick
that his host had given him no information whatever on the subject of
the loyalty of Sapazani.

"He's got some cheek, that same party whom we won't name," said Francis.
"He flatly refused to salute his magistrate with the `_Bayete_' when he
went to see him--hailed him a