assegais left behind by the visitors of the past night.

"Dat Jack," she said, holding up one. "Dose oder fellow."

"Will they come for them?"

"No. Jack no come again. Get other wife. Tant Sal don't want any
more."

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

OOM STARTLES HIS FRIENDS.

The days glided peacefully by, with Dyke kept busy enough supplying the
larder, especially for his brother's benefit, and under his treatment
the poor fellow grew better.

But so slowly; and he was the mere ghost of his former self when he
began to crawl out of the house by the help of a stick, to sit in the
shade and watch Dyke as he was busy about the place.

There was very little to vary the monotony of their life. A lion came
one night, but did not molest horse or bullock. They had visits, too,
from the jackals, but Tanta Sal was right--Jack came no more, and they
saw nothing of the Kaffirs who had been his companions, though Dyke
found a rough hut and traces of a fire in the patch of forest close to
where he went to shoot the guinea-fowl, showing that he must often have
been pretty near the Kaffirs' hiding-place.

In fact, Jack had had a very severe peppering, and felt not the
slightest inclination to risk receiving another.

The subject of giving up Kopfontein was often discussed, but even if it
were done, it seemed evident that many months must elapse before Emson
would be fit to travel; so the subject was talked of less often, though
one thing was evident both to Dyke and his brother--their scheme of
ostrich-farming had completely broken down, and unless a bold attempt
were made to start afresh, they would gradually become poorer and
poorer, for alone, all Dyke's efforts to collect valuable skins were
disposed to be rather unfruitful, try hard as he would.

Months had passed, and they had had no more black visitors, but one day
Tanta Sal rushed into the house where the brothers were seated at
dinner, with such a look of excitement upon her features, that Dyke
sprang up, seized one of the guns and handed another to his brother, who
stood up, looking weak, but determined to help if danger were at hand.

But Tanta gesticulated, pushed the guns away, and signed to Dyke to
follow.

The cause of the woman's excitement was evident directly, for there, a
mile away, was a wagon drawn by a long team of oxen, and it was evident
that they were to have visitors at the farm.

"Some poor wretch going up in the wilds to seek his fortune,"