rek at once!"

The spokesman of the two, stung by the other's calmness, came closer,
shaking his kerries unpleasantly near Selwood's nose. But the latter
never moved.

The other native said something in a low, quick, warning tone. It was
effective. Both Kafirs turned, and, walking away, began collecting
their stock, aided by their women and children, who, laden with mats and
cooking-pots, and other household gear, had, up till now, been squatting
in the background.

"Hey, _umlungu_!" [White man] cried the one-eyed savage, turning to
fire a parting shot, "we shall meet one of these days. Take care of
yourself!" he added, with significant irony.

"Ha! ha! So we shall, my friend. But it will be in the magistrate's
court. Bad hats both of them," he added, turning to the girls. "Queer
that they should own all that stock. But the pass was all right. Yet
there are such things as forged passes. By Jove! I've a good mind to
send over and warn the Mounted Police. Not worth the trouble, though.
I'll just ride down after dinner and make sure that they are clear off
the place. Impudent dog, that wall-eyed chap. If you two hadn't been
there I'd have given him the best hammering he ever had in his life, or
he'd have given me one."

With which remark the speaker characteristically dismissed the affair
from his mind altogether.

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

"I've had a letter from Renshaw," said Mrs Selwood, as they sat down to
dinner.

"A letter!" cried Violet, suddenly interested. "Why, it isn't post-day!
How did you get it?"

"Theunis Bezuidenhout brought it out from Fort Lamport. He says the
drought up there is something fearful--"

"Who? Theunis Bezuidenhout?" struck in Christopher.

"--Something fearful," went on his wife, clean ignoring this flippant
remark. "There isn't a blade of grass left on the place, and hardly a
drop of water. All the sheep and goats have died except about five
hundred."

"Poor chap!" said Selwood. "What an unlucky dog he is! He'd better
have cleared out of that dried-up Bushmanland place long ago, even if he
had to give it away for a song. Well, he'll have to now, anyhow. Write
and ask him to come down here when he does, Hilda. He might hit on
something about here to suit him."

"Oh yes, mamma--do!" exclaimed Effie, aged twelve, with whom Renshaw was
a prime favourite.

"But that isn't all," continued Mrs Selwood. "