t sharply.

"Boers ride there on ponies!" replied the Kaffir decisively, as he
pointed down at the drab dust. "No ponies make marks."

"That's enough," said Ingleborough. "Come along."

Without hesitation now they put their mounts to a canter, rode up to the
pleasant refreshing-looking place, and after leaving the ponies with the
Kaffir and climbing to one of the highest points, took a good look
round. This proved that there was not a mounted man in sight, and they
descended to select a spot where there was plenty of herbage and water
for their steeds, when they sat down and began to breakfast.

"Nothing like a fine appetite," said West, after they had been eating
for some little time; "but this biltong is rather like eating a leg of
mahogany dining-table into which a good deal of salt gravy and furniture
oil has been allowed to soak."

"Yes, it is rather wooden," said Ingleborough coolly. "Must wear out a
man's teeth a good deal."

"Eland," said the Kaffir, tapping his stick of the dried meat on seeing
his companions examining and smelling the food. "Old baas shoot eland,
Olebo cut him up and dry him in the sun. Good."

"Well, it isn't bad, O child of nature! But I say, how far do you mean
to come with us?"

"No go any more," replied the man. "Go Olebo kraal, see wife. Give her
big shilling and little yellow shilling.--Good?"

He brought out the sovereign from where it had been placed, and held it
up.

"Good? Yes," said West, and he set to work to try and explain by making
the black bring out a florin and then holding up his outspread ten
fingers, when the man seemed to have some idea of his meaning.

"Look here, I'll get it into his benighted intellect; but I should have
thought that he would have known what a sovereign was worth."

Just then the Kaffir nodded sharply, after examining the coin.

"Gold?" he said, in Dutch.

"Of course," said Ingleborough, taking out a sovereign and ten more
florins, which he placed in a heap and at a short distance from the
little pile he laid down the sovereign. "Look here, Olebo," he said,
taking up the ten florins. "Buy four blankets!"

The Kaffir nodded, and his instructor replaced the heavy coins in his
pocket to take up the sovereign.

"Now, see here," said Ingleborough, holding it out. "Buy four
blankets."

"Ah!" cried the delighted black, snatching out his own treasured coins,
the gold in one hand, the silver in the other. "Buy four blankets f