g Boer. Say good night
to Tante too, and tell her that our sleeping chamber is the very
perfection of domestic comfort."

"Hunk!" ejaculated the farmer, and he disappeared again.

"I wonder that he did not turn upon you," said West, rather
reproachfully; "he must have understood that you were speaking
sarcastically."

"Not he," said his companion. "Thick-headed, muddy-brained brute; more
like a quadruped than a man! The Kaffirs are gentlemen to some of these
up-country farmers, and yet they are the slaves."

"Too tired to discuss moral ethics!" said West sleepily; "but really
this place is awful. Agricultural implements in one corner, sacks of
something in another, horns, saddles, tools--oh, I'm too sleepy to go
on. Hallo! He has taken those two rifles away that were slung over
that low cupboard."

"To be sure; so he has! Afraid we should steal them, perhaps, and be
off before he woke! I say, did you notice how he examined ours?"

"Yes; I fancied he had noticed that they were Mausers."

"Oh no. They were fresh to him. Well, I'm going to take care that he
doesn't help himself to them. I don't know what you're going to do, but
I'm going to lie down on one side of that bed just as I am, bandolier
and all, and I vote we lay the rifles between us."

"I shall do the same," said West. "What do you say to leaving the door
and window open for the sake of the fresh air? No fear of lions here?"

"I don't know so much about that, but we should get some warning from
the horses and oxen. Bah! It's not likely. What now?"

There was a heavy thumping at the door leading into the other room, and
the vrouw's shrill voice was heard ordering them to put out the light.

"Tell her, West, that her royal commands shall be instantly obeyed by
her obedient slaves."

"Shan't," replied West. "That will quiet her," and he turned out the
light, putting an end to its abominable emanation of coarse petroleum,
while the soft starry light of a glorious night stole in, showing the
shapes of door and windows.

"Hah! That's better!" said Ingleborough, making the rough bedstead
creak as he laid himself gently down. "I hope none of these cartridges
will explode. Oh, how I can sleep!"

"And so can I," sighed West, "even dressed up like this," after laying
his rifle alongside of his companion's, straight down the middle of the
bed.

"We didn't tell Jack the Kaffir to bring our shaving-water at daybreak,"
said Ingleborough,