or
Olebo wife," he cried, holding forward the silver. Then putting it
behind him he held out the sovereign: "Buy four blankets for Olebo."

"Now we've got it," cried West, laughing, and watching the way in which
the black hid his cash away. "I say," he continued, to his companion,
speaking in English, "where does he put that money to keep it safe?"

"I dunno," said Ingleborough. "It seems to come natural to these
Kaffirs to hide away their treasures cunningly. See how artful they are
over the diamonds! He doesn't put the cash in his trousers pockets, nor
yet in his waistcoat, nor yet his coat, because he has neither one nor
the other. I expect he has a little snake-skin bag somewhere inside his
leather-loincloth. But here, I'm thirsty; let's have some water!"

As he spoke Ingleborough sprang up and walked towards the head of the
spruit, followed by his companions, and they passed the two ponies,
which were hard at work on the rich green herbage along the border of
the stream. Then, getting well ahead of them, all lay down and
thoroughly quenched their thirst.

"Now," said West, "what next? We ought to go on at once," and he
unconsciously laid his hand upon the spot where the despatch was hidden.

"No," replied Ingleborough, "that won't do. We seem safe here, and we
must hasten slowly. We're ready enough to go on, but the ponies must be
properly nursed. They want more grass and a rest."

"The sun is getting hot too," said West, in acknowledgment of his
comrade's words of wisdom.

"We'll stop till evening, lad," continued Ingleborough, "and take it in
turn to sleep in the shade of those bushes if we can find a soft spot.
We had no rest last night."

"I suppose that must be it," replied West, and he joined in a sigh on
finding a satisfactory spot beneath a mass of granite from which
overhung a quantity of thorn-bush and creeper which formed an
impenetrable shade.

The black followed them, noting keenly every movement and trying hard to
gather the meaning of the English words.

"Two baas lie down long time, go to sleep," he said at last, in broken
Dutch. "Olebo sit and look, see if Boer come. See Boer, make baas wake
up."

"No," said West; "you two lie down and sleep. I'll take the first
watch."

Ingleborough made no opposition, and after West had climbed up to a spot
beneath a tree from which he could get a good stretch of the veldt in
view, the others lay down at once and did not stir a limb