the boy's energy over a bit of mischief.

For Dyke actually ran back to the stable, brought out a bucket of water,
stood counting the furrows of the iron roofing, and then carried the
pail round to the other side and set it down.

His next movement was to fetch a roughly made step-ladder, count the
furrows on his side, then place the ladder carefully, and at such a
slope that it lay flat on the roof, so that, steadily preserving his
balance, he walked up with the bucket of water from round to round till
he could see across the ridge to where his brother stood with the horses
a hundred yards away, watching over the big nag's mane, and grasping now
what was to happen.

Dyke knelt down now behind the ridge, to which the top of the ladder
just reached, and had calculated his distance so well, that upon tilting
the bucket a little, some water trickled down two of the furrows of an
iron sheet, and began to drip from the eaves upon the Kaffir's nude
chest.

There was no movement, so a little more water was poured, and this
brought forth a pig-like grunt, as if of satisfaction.

More water--more grunts.

More water, and a shuffling movement.

More water, and an angry gasp; the Kaffir raised his head, looked up at
the sky, the dripping eaves--looked round, and settled down to sleep.

All this was invisible to Dyke, but he could tell by the sounds that his
shower was having effect; and as soon as the man ceased to move, the boy
sent down a third of the bucketful.

This produced a sharp ejaculation, and the man sprang up into a sitting
position, and looking angrily round, saw that Emson was standing far
away with the horses, and that no one else was near. His next glance
was at the cloudless sky, and the dripping eaves, to which a few bright
drops still hung and ceased to fall.

Only a rare shower, the man seemed to think; and, muttering to himself,
he shuffled a little into a dry spot to lie down yawning, when rush came
the rest of the water, deluging him this time, and making him jump up
and burst into a torrent of objurgations against the sky in his own
tongue, shaking both his fists the while, till, _bang, clatter, crash_!
the bucket came rattling down, and he turned and ran out toward where
Emson stood looking on.

Dyke descended quickly, and making a circuit, he ran round, and then
appeared slowly from the end of a fence fifty yards from the house,
walking quietly across to join his brother.

As he drew near