of these chinking together a little, as they hung
between them, they cantered on.

"Won't do them any good shaking them up so, will it?" said Dyke.

"I've given up all idea of setting these," said Emson. "I should say it
would be very doubtful whether they would hatch, and we want a little
change in the way of feeding, old fellow. We'll see which are addled,
and which are not."

Tanta Sal was at the door as they rode up, and her face expanded
largely, especially about the eyes and mouth, at the sight of the eggs.

"I say, look at Tant," said Dyke merrily. "Did you ever see such a
face?"

"Never," replied Emson quietly. "She's not beautiful from our point of
view."

"Beautiful!"

"Tastes differ, old chap," said Emson. "No doubt Jack thought her very
nice-looking. English people admire small mouths and little waists. It
is very evident that the Kaffirs do not; and I don't see why a small
mouth should be more beautiful than a large one."

"And there isn't so much of it," cried Dyke.

"Certainly not, and it is not so useful. No: Tant is not handsome, but
she can cook, and I don't believe that Venus could have fetched water
from the spring in two buckets half so well."

"Don't suppose she could, or made fires either," said Dyke, laughing.

"Very good, then, little un. Tant is quite good-looking enough for
us.--Hi! there, old girl, take these and keep them cool. Cook one for
dinner."

The woman nodded, took the net, swung it over her back, and the next
minute the creamy-white eggs were seen reposing on the dark skin.

After seeing to the horses, Dyke made some remark to his brother about
wanting his corn too, and he went quietly round to the back, where Tant
was busy over the fire, preparing one of the eggs by cooking it _au
naturel_, not boiling in a saucepan, but making the thick shell itself
do duty for one.

She looked up and showed her teeth as Dyke came in sight, and then went
on with her work, which was that of stirring the egg, whose treatment
was very simple. She had chipped a little hole in one end, big enough
to admit a stick, and had placed the other end deep down in the glowing
dry cake ashes, squatting down on her heels on one side of the fire,
while Jack sat in a similar position on the other, watching his wife as
she kept on stirring the egg with the piece of wood.

"Oh there you are, Jack," said Dyke; "we've shot a big lion."

"Baas kill?"

"Yes. You're coming with us to skin