its way surreptitiously into their mouths. The dogs pounced hungrily
upon the refuse that was thrown them.

"Not a nice sight, Miss Carden," said Elvesdon, who had noticed a slight
grimace of disgust. "Well, don't look at it. These are the little
unpleasantnesses inseparable from this kind of sport, you know."

"Oh of course. Why it was foolish of me to even seem to mind. I won't
again."

Then the word was given to move on. The quarry was placed in trees,
where it could be collected after the day's doings were over, and they
began on the next kloof. But it proved a blank, except for an ugly
bloated puff adder which Prior cut in two with a charge of shot on the
way to take up his position, and by the time they had beaten out the
bush, the sun and a fine healthy appetite owned to on the part of all
hands, warned that it was high time for something substantial in the way
of refreshment.

"Here we are," cried Edala, as they topped a rise, "and here comes the
skoff," as the figures of two native women, each with a substantial
basket on her head could be seen approaching by a narrow bush path.
"This is Bees' Nest Kloof, Evelyn. I've never brought you here yet.
Look. Half way up that krantz there's a good sized cleft which holds
the bees' nest, and it's always there because no one can possibly get at
it to take it out. If you get them against the sun you can see the bees
going in and out."

"So they are," said Evelyn shading her eyes. The krantz was a small
one, about fifty or sixty feet high, and in its shade they all
dismounted. In a trice the baskets were unpacked--knives and forks,
enamelled plates and cups, and several substantial looking parcels being
laid out on a rug. Thornhill extracted a comfortable looking bottle.

"Elvesdon, help yourself. Prior, have a glass of grog. We've all
earned it at any rate."

The while the boys had got together a fire and as by magic a boiling
kettle of coffee was before the party. And the cold viands were done
very ample justice to, for the open air in South Africa is the finest
appetiser in the world, and have we not said that Ramasam was an
exceptionally good cook?

"Well, this is the very jolliest kind of picnic," pronounced Elvesdon,
as he lay in cool comfort on the sward, after they had lunched, filling
his pipe.

"Hear hear!" cried Prior emphatically, beginning to perform a like
operation. "I say, sir. Give us a fill from yours. My _gwai_ has all
run