onable secret. He would never
get out of the mountains alive.

Nor was it reassuring when he satisfied himself as to the identity of
the new arrivals, for they were none other than Gideon Roux himself and
Hermanus Delport, the big Dutchman who had fallen foul of Frank Wenlock
at the roadside inn. Both bore characters of evil repute.

Would they never go on? They were talking voluminously, but were too
far off for the burden of their words to travel. The big man was
holding his rifle aloft as though threatening Gert with the butt
thereof; but the Griqua stood his ground, calm and unintimidated. Would
they never go on? Colvin felt his position growing more and more
ignominious. Then again, what if they should conclude to come up and
investigate? But they did not. To his intense relief they put their
horses into the track again and cantered off in the direction whither he
himself was bound.

"Very _schelm_ Boer, Gideon Roux, sir," said Gert, in reply to his
master's questioning. "They asked where my Baas was, and I told them
gone after a reebok. They laughed over an Englishman shooting reebok
with a revolver, when he could not even shoot anything with a rifle.
Then, Baas, Hermanus he said I was a lying Hottentot, and threatened to
knock my brains out with the butt of his gun. He said Hottentots and
Englishmen were equally liars."

"Well, it's of no consequence. But I'm afraid the chances of getting my
money out of Gideon Roux to-day are very poor."

"Does Baas want to get money out of Gideon Roux, then?"

"Of course _I_ do, you ass. He hasn't paid for those sheep yet."

"One hundred and twenty-five pounds, Baas. If I had ten pounds I would
not offer it for the chance of that hundred and twenty-five pounds;" and
Gert shook his head, puckering his face into the most whimsical
expression.

"Well, Gert, I believe you're right. However, I may get some of it.
But I don't think we shall see Gideon. Now that he knows I'm coming up
he won't be at home."

The contrast between Ratels Hoek and Gideon Roux' farm was about in
proportion to that between their respective owners. A long, low
building, with dirty whitewashed walls and thatched roof, standing
against a bleak and desolate hill-slope--the front door opening in two
parts--dilapidated stone kraals, situated on the slope aforesaid, so
that in time of the rains all the drainage thence rushed round the back
wall of the house--some draggle-tailed poultry