d be mean. Should he quietly bid him good morning and walk away?
This, he felt, would be ridiculous. At that moment tobacco occurred to
his mind. He quietly rested his gun against a tree, and drew forth a
small roll of tobacco, from which he cut at least a foot and handed it
to the chief. The dignity of the savage at once gave way before the
beloved weed. He smiled--that is, he grinned in a ghastly way, for his
face, besides being black, was streaked with lines of red ochre--and
graciously accepted the gift. Then George made an elaborate speech in
dumb-show with hands, fingers, arms, and eyes, to the effect that he
desired the Kafir to accompany him to his location, but the chief
gravely shook his head, pointed in another direction and to the sun, as
though to say that time was on the wing; then, throwing his leopard-skin
robe over his right shoulder with the air of a Spanish grandee, he
turned aside and strode into the jungle.

George, glad to be thus easily rid of him, also turned and hurried home.

This time he was not slow to let his employer know that he had met with
a native.

"It behoves us to keep a sharp look-out, George," said Brook. "I heard
yesterday from young Merton that some of the settlers not far from his
place have had a visit from the black fellows, who came in the night,
and while they slept carried off some of the sheep they had recently
purchased from an up-country county Dutchman. We will watch for a few
nights while rumours of this kind are afloat. When all seems quiet we
can take it easy. Let Scholtz take the first watch. You will succeed
him, and I will mount guard from the small hours onward."

For some days this precaution was continued, but as nothing more was
heard of black marauders the Brook family gradually ceased to feel
anxious, and the nightly watch was given up.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

SHOWS THE PLEASURES, PAINS, AND PENALTIES OF HOUSEKEEPING IN THE BUSH.

"Don't you think this a charming life?" asked Mrs Brook of Mrs Merton,
who had been her guest for a week.

Mrs Merton was about thirty years of age, and opinionated, if not
strong-minded, also rather pretty. She had married young, and her
eldest son, a lad of twelve, had brought her from her husband's farm,
some three miles distant from that of Edwin Brook.

"No, Mrs Brook, I don't like it at all," was Mrs Merton's emphatic
reply.

"Indeed!" said Mrs Brook, in some surprise.

She said nothing more after this f