"But, as I say, there are no customs here," he retorted. "At least,
I should have said so, this morning. Now I am not so sure." Then he
laughed. "I've bungled that horribly, Miss Mellen. What I meant was
that you have given me a very good time, this afternoon."

"Prove it by coming again," she advised him.

"If I may. I don't wish to wear out my welcome; but one hasn't so
many friends in South Africa."

"What about Kruger Roberts?" she reminded him.

"That gives me two."

"And Captain Frazer?"

Weldon's eyes lighted.

"Some day, perhaps. I would be willing to wait for that."

Gravely her glance roved from the alert young Canadian at her side
to the older, more steadfast face across the table. Then she shook
her head.

"You will not have to wait long, Mr. Weldon?" she said quietly.
"Captain Frazer spoke of you, a week ago. I have known him for
months; I know what, with him, stands for enthusiasm."

"I wish you might be a true prophet. I would honor you, even here in
your own garden. For the sake of Captain Frazer's regard, I would
give up most things," he replied, too low to be overheard by the
couple who were now chaffing each other above their cooling cups.

Later on, he wondered a little how far the apparent inconsequence of
her next question was the result of chance.

"What about Cooee?" she asked, in a voice as low as his own had
been.

He hesitated. Then he looked up at her steadily.

"Miss Mellen, I am sure I don't know," he answered gravely.

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Beastly shame that the Boers hadn't buried themselves instead of
the guns!" Carew remarked, as he wrestled with a tough thong of
bully beef which yielded to his jaws much as an India-rubber eraser
might have done.

Without making any pretence of extracting nutriment from his own
ration, Weldon converted it into a missile and hurled it straight at
his companion.

"There's this difference," he returned pithily; "a gun is a good
enough fellow to deserve Christian burial. Carew, do you ever yearn
for the fleshpots?"

Without bringing his jaws to a halt, Carew shook his head.

"Do you?" he asked, after a prolonged interval.

"Yes, if they could be brought here; not otherwise. I like the game;
but I also like a little more oats mixed with my fodder. How long is
it since we had a square meal?"

"How long since we halted in that pineapple grove, coming up from
Durban?" Carew retorted. "That made up for a good deal. You have n