oys," a weather-beaten, grizzled old farmer was
saying--haranguing a gathering of idlers on the _stoep_ of the hotel.
"There's always something of that sort happens every war. Fellers get
so darn careless. They think because Jack Kafir funks sixty men he's in
just as big a funk of six. But he ain't. They reckon, too, that
because they can't see no Kafirs that there ain't no Kafirs to see.
Jest as if they weren't bein' watched every blessed step they take. No,
if you go out in a big party to find Jack Kafir you won't find him, but
if you go out in a small one, he'll be dead sure to find you. You may
jest bet drinks all round on that. Hey? Did you say you'd take me,
Bill?" broke off the old fellow with a twinkle in his eye as he caught
that of a crony in the group.

"Haw, haw! No, I didn't, but I will though. Put a name to it, old
_Baas_."

"Well, I'll call it `French.' Three star for choice."

The liquid was duly brought and the old fellow, having disposed of
two-thirds at a gulp, resumed his disquisition.

"It's this way," he went on. "I'm as certain of it as if I'd seen it.
Them oxen were nothin' more or less than a trap. The Kafirs had been
watching the poor devils all along and jest sent the oxen as a bait to
draw them across the river. It's jest what might have been expected,
but I'm surprised they hadn't more sense than to be took so easily.
Hoste and Payne especially--not being a couple of Britishers--"

"Here, I say, governor--stow all that for a yarn," growled one of a
brace of fresh-faced young Police troopers, who were consuming a modest
"split" at a table and resented what they thought was an imputation.

"Well, I don't mean no offence," returned the old fellow testily. "I
only mean that Britishers ain't got the experience us Colonial chaps
has, and 'll go runnin' their heads into a trap where we should know
better."

"All the more credit to their pluck," interrupted another patriotically
disposed individual.

"Oh, shut up, Smith. Who the deuce is saying anything against their
pluck?" cried someone else.

"Well, I'm sure I wasn't," went on the original speaker. "Tom Carhayes,
now, is as plucky a fellow as ever lived--was, rather--and--"

"You don't call Tom Carhayes a Britisher, do you?" objected another man.

"Yes, I do. At least, perhaps not altogether. He's been here a good
number of years now and got into our ways. Still, I remember when he
first came out. And Milne only