t he had not had things all his own way. The
dread scourge which had swept steadily down from the north had not
spared him; that rinderpest which had decimated his neighbours' cattle,
as well as that of the natives, had decimated--was still decimating--his
own. Even this, however, could not avail to afford him the anxiety
which might constitute the one nail destined to drive out the other; for
its ravages, however much they might spell loss, and serious loss, could
never to him spell utter ruin, as was the case with some others.

Now a sound of distant lowing, and the occasional clear shout of the
driver, told that his own herd was being driven in for the night; and
then the calves which had already been brought in woke up, in responsive
bellow, to greet the approaching herd. Lamont rose and went round to
the kraal. Here was a possible source of anxiety, and narrowly and
eagerly did he scan the animals as they passed him, lest haply he might
discern symptoms of the dread pestilence. But none appeared, nor did a
closer investigation as he moved about within the kraal show further
cause for anxiety. So preoccupied was he with this that he entirely
failed to notice the approach of a horseman in the growing dusk, until
the circumstance was brought to his notice by the sharp crack of a whip
and a cheery hail.

"Evenin', Lamont."

"Peters, by George! Well, I said you'd be back to-night. You're as
punctual as a jolly clock, old man."

The speaker was outside the gate now, and the two men exchanged a
cordial hand-grip.

"Jolly glad you are back too," he went on. "I've got on a fit of holy
blues to-night."

"Oh well, then, it's a good job I've brought along a chum. He'll help
liven you."

"A chum? Where is he?"

"With the carts. They're about at the three-mile _draai_ now. His
horse knocked out. This was the way of it," went on Peters, who, having
off-saddled his own mount and handed it over to a boy, led the way to
the house. "You know Fuliya's bend on the Pagadi road. No, you don't?
Well, no matter. Here's luck, old man."

Down went two long tumblers of whisky-and-selzogene.

"We'll have another when the other chap turns up," said Peters, with a
jolly laugh. "Well, as I was saying, just before I got to that bend I
saw two ugly Makalakas cross the road."

"Nothing wonderful in that. Most likely they only wanted to get to the
other side," said Lamont slily.

"Eh? Oh, I see. Well they did, of