less certainly, supplanted him. His sacrifice on her
account would be complete. Through his instrumentality the pair would
obtain the means of happiness. And in this reflection his mind found a
degree of consolation.

"Cold consolation this--very much the reverse of consolation!" cries the
ordinary mind. Yes, but Renshaw Fanning's was not an ordinary mind.

Christmas had come and gone--bringing with it much festivity--the visits
of friends and relatives, till the house was crammed to the extent of
holding no more by any means short of "shaking down" the excess members
in the verandah, even as many were already "shaken down" on the floors
of the bedrooms. There had been dances and riding parties, and a
buck-hunt or two, though the time of year was unfavourable to venatorial
pursuits--the sweltering midsummer heat being ill-conducive to scent in
the matter of rousing the quarry, though very much conducive to the
same, after the slaying of the said quarry, which indeed would hardly
keep two hours. There had been much fun and flirtation among the
younger section and much jollity among all. Jovial Chris Selwood was
never so much in his element as with a crowd of friends about him, and
the more the merrier, he would say.

Then as the corner of the year turned, the party had broken up and gone
its respective ways--one to his farm, another to his merchandise--the
bulk of it, however, literally to the former. And Renshaw began to
think a great deal about "The Valley of the Eye."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So your faith in this Sindbad valley is as strong as ever, is it,
Renshaw?" said Selwood, in comment on a remark of the other's as they
were returning homeward together after a day of riding around the veldt,
looking after the flocks and their keepers, and giving an eye to things
in general.

"Well, yes, it is. I'm as convinced the place exists as I am that I
exist myself. But it's weariful work, hunting a will-o'-the-wisp."

"Rather. Throw it up, old man. Now, why on earth don't you make up
your mind to come and settle near us? There are good enough farms
around here to be had."

"For those who have the means," supplied the other, gaily. "And I'm not
one of them. That last drought `busted' me--lock, stock, and barrel.
All the greater necessity to find the `Eye.'"

Selwood made no immediate reply. He flicked the heads of the grasses
with his whip as he r