n I could see him, so he may take himself off."

There was no getting round the straight directness of this reply.
Maqala said nothing. He just flung his blanket round him, and lounged
away; but as he did so the look he turned on me was not a pleasant one.
On _me_. I was conscious of a feeling of relief. I, then, was the
object of his hostility. Whatever nefarious scheme he was hatching, I
was the destined victim of it--I and not the boy. Well, that simplified
the situation, for I was flattered to think I knew how to take care of
myself. Yet, even then his implacability was not quite comprehensible,
for Kafirs, as a rule, have a strong sense of justice and are not
vindictive when they realise that they have deserved whatever punishment
they may have got, and if this one did not deserve the somewhat rough
treatment I had twice meted out to him, why I didn't know who did.
Physically he was a tall, lithe specimen of his race, rather
light-coloured, and had an evil cast of countenance. The expression of
that countenance now, as he darted that quick parting glance at me,
reminded me of nothing so much as a roused snake.

Well, Dumela took himself off. He made no profuse apologies or
extravagant expressions on the strength of thus terminating his twenty
years' service. He just bade us farewell, collected his two wives, his
cattle, and such pay as was due to him, and went. We had to put on one
of our farm boys in his place, and were to that extent short-handed,
necessitating more general supervision, which, as Brian was obliged to
be away from home on a matter of business, considerably tended to
enlarge my own sphere of energy. But for this I was not sorry, as it
took me more and more away from the house.

Sometimes Pentridge would accompany me on my rides abroad, and I was
glad to have him, for he was always good company, and, liking the man
for his own sake, I could not feel mean enough to hate him for being
more fortunate than myself. On one such occasion--Beryl having
laughingly but firmly ordered him out of the schoolroom where she was
giving Iris, and now George, their morning lessons, and thus throwing
him for refuge on me--he said something that set me thinking.

"D'you know, Holt, I'm beginning to feel beastly jealous of you."

"So? And why?"

"Why, the way you seem to have captured every one here."

"Didn't know it."

"But you have. Why, it's `Holt says this' and `Kenrick thinks that' on
all ha