to
him--he did not pay the money.

"Don't I pay the money?" cried Jan. "Isn't it taken out of my very
hand?"

"Oh, ja! But it comes out of the Baas' pocket."

"It comes out of my very hand," reiterated Jan, springing up; and
fetching his whip, he gave three tremendous clacks with it, the signal
to April, that could be heard a mile away in the still air, to bring
back the oxen; and the baffled enemy picked up his lamb and retired from
action.

Jan was jubilant, and cheerfully agreed to Mrs. Gilbert's suggestions as
to the best camping-place for the night.

But I think his triumph was demoralising for him. As evening settled
down and we were getting towards our resting-place, we passed by a rare
thing--a long wooden fence; and we soon saw that Jan and April were
freely helping themselves to the dry wood, and stowing it at the sides
of the wagon to save themselves the trouble of collecting any later.

"Jan," called his mistress, "you must not steal that wood. The man it
belongs to told the Baas he lost so much that he should put somebody to
watch, and have any one who was caught taken before Mr. Huntly."

"April," shouted Jan, laughing, "look out for old Huntly. The Meeses
says we must stop it."

Later, when we had outspanned for the night, and they had broiled our
sausages, and made the coffee with chuckling anticipation of remainders,
they made such a fire as scared Mrs. Gilbert, lest they should set the
dry karoo around alight.

"Here, April, we must beat it down a bit. The Meeses is feared we shall
set the moon afire," laughed Jan, laying about him with a will, as the
flames leaped heavenward.

The next morning he had to cross a river, and pay toll at the bridge.
Why Lang-Jan never objected to that, I do not know, but he came quite
meekly for the money. His mistress had not the exact sum, and Jan was
some time inside the toll-house, which was also a store.

On emerging, he shouted and whipped up his oxen, and off we lumbered.

When we came to a hill, and our pace was sufficiently slackened for
speech, Mrs. Gilbert called to him, "Jan, where is my change?"

"Oh, Meeses!" exclaimed Jan, quite unabashed; "I took the change in
tobacco!"

[Sidenote: Many girls long for an opportunity to "do something." That
was Claudia's way. And, after all, there _was_ an opportunity. Where?]

Claudia's Place

BY

A. R. BUCKLAND

"What I feel," said Claudia Haberton, sitting up with a movement of
indignati