where my father had begun, was the word "Beasts," which I had
passed over unnoticed as being part of some memorandum on the paper when
my father took it up hurriedly to write.

I always was a weak, emotional sort of fellow--perhaps it was due to the
climate, and my having had the fever when we first came there--and the
writing looked very dim and blurry before my eyes; and yet I felt
inclined to laugh over what Bob had scribbled. I did laugh when my eyes
grew clear again, for Bob had, apparently at the last, taken up the pen
to write along the edge of the paper, and so badly that it was hard to
read:

"I say, Joeboy looks fizzing. He's been oiling himself over to make him
go easy, and sharpening his saygays with the scythe-rubber."

"And so there's to be no more home," I said softly as I carefully folded
up the paper and placed it in my breast. Then somehow the terrible
feeling of hunger died out, and I only drank some more water.

"Boss Val eat lot," said Joeboy, his voice making me start.

"No more, now, Joeboy," I said. "I'll wait a bit."

"Wait a bit," he said, nodding his head, and then carefully replacing
what I had left in the satchel.

"Fasten that to the back of my saddle," I said.

"Um! Joeboy carry."

"No, no," I replied. "We must part now, Joeboy. I can't go back home,
nor stay here."

Joeboy shook his head.

"No stop," he said. "All bad."

"You don't understand," I said.

"Um!" he said, nodding. "Joeboy know. Boss Val fight Boers."

"Perhaps; but you must go back and help my father if he has to leave the
farm."

There was another shake of the head and a frown; then a silence, during
which the great black seemed to be thinking out what he was to say in
English to make his meaning clear. At last it came as he sat there with
his shield on one side, his assagais on the other; and, to my surprise,
he took up the big stabbing weapon and one of the light throwing-shafts
before touching me on the chest with a finger.

"Boss John big boss," he said solemnly. "Boss Val little boss;" and he
held up the two spears to illustrate his words. "Big boss say, `Go
'long my boy.' Little boss say, `Go 'long my dad.' Joeboy say, `Don't
car'; shan't go. Got to go 'long Boss Val.'"

"My father told you this?"

"Um!" said the great fellow; "dat's all right."

"But you would be so much use to my father, Joe, to manage the bullocks
in the wagon."

"No," he said. "No bullock. Boer boy take '