kraals, while the ladies went their ways, either to give a supervising
eye to the preparation of supper, or to while away an idle half-hour
prior to that comfortable repast.

"Well, Violet, and what do you think of the stranger?" said Marian, when
they were left to themselves.

"Oh, I think him rather a joke. Likely to turn out very good fun, I
should say," was the careless reply.

"Sure to, if you take him in hand, you abominable girl. But I've a sort
of idea the `fun' will be all on one side. I suppose you think you can
reduce him to utter and insane subjection in less than a week."

For response Violet only smiled. But the smile seemed to convey more
plainly than words the conviction that she rather thought she could.

CHAPTER TEN.

ON THORNS.

When Maurice Sellon awoke the next morning it took him some little while
to remember exactly where he was.

The cool delicious air was wafting in at the open window--the murmur of
leaves, and the plash of running water--the half-rasping, half-whistling
call of the yellow thrush, and the endless chattering of finks--the
lowing of cattle, and the deep bass hum of Kafir voices--all struck upon
his ears as strange after the exhausting heat; the treeless, waterless
wastes, the burnt-up silent plains so destitute of bird and animal life,
which were the leading features of the scene of his late sojourn. Then
with all the strong animal rejoicing of a mercurial temperament combined
with a sound constitution, he leaped out of bed, and snatching up a
towel, sallied forth in quest of a convenient place for a swim.

It was early yet, but the household was astir--seemed to have been for
some time. Sellon spied his host in the cattle kraal, giving a
supervising eye to the milking and other operations therein going
forward.

"Want to swim, eh?" said the latter. "Well, follow that fence a couple
of hundred yards till you come to a big tree-fern on the hedge of the
bush; turn in there and you'll find a grand hole."

Away went Sellon, looking about him as he walked. What a fine place
this was, he thought, and what a rattling good time of it he was going
to have. The shooting must be splendid. It was a lovely morning, and
the man's spirits rose over the prospect of present enjoyment, and a
brightening future. And there was another cause at work tending to send
up the mercury, as we shall see anon.

He had no difficulty in finding the water-hole--a fine `reach' of the