brown serene earth about him and
the intensely blue sky above.

Presently, at the corner of the camp, Em appeared, bearing a covered
saucer in one hand and in the other a jug, with a cup in the top. She
was grown into a premature little old woman of sixteen, ridiculously
fat. The jug and saucer she put down on the ground before the dog and
his master and dropped down beside them herself, panting and out of
breath.

"Waldo, as I came up the camps I met some one on horseback, and I do
believe it must be the new man that is coming."

The new man was an Englishman to whom the Boer-woman had hired half the
farm.

"Hum!" said Waldo.

"He is quite young," said Em, holding her side, "and he has brown hair,
and beard curling close to his face, and such dark blue eyes. And,
Waldo, I was so ashamed! I was just looking back to see, you know, and
he happened just to be looking back too, and we looked right into each
other's faces; and he got red, and I got so red. I believe he is the new
man."

"Yes," said Waldo.

"I must go now. Perhaps he has brought us letters from the post from
Lyndall. You know she can't stay at school much longer, she must come
back soon. And the new man will have to stay with us till his house is
built. I must get his room ready. Good-bye!"

She tripped off again, and Waldo carved on at his post. Doss lay with
his nose close to the covered saucer, and smelt that some one had made
nice little fat cakes that afternoon. Both were so intent on their
occupation that not till a horse's hoofs beat beside them in the sand
did they look up to see a rider drawing in his steed.

He was certainly not the stranger whom Em had described. A dark,
somewhat French-looking little man of eight-and-twenty, rather stout,
with heavy, cloudy eyes and pointed moustaches. His horse was a fiery
creature, well caparisoned; a highly-finished saddlebag hung from the
saddle; the man's hands were gloved, and he presented the appearance-an
appearance rare on that farm--of a well-dressed gentleman.

In an uncommonly melodious voice he inquired whether he might be allowed
to remain there for an hour. Waldo directed him to the farmhouse, but
the stranger declined. He would merely rest under the trees and give his
horse water. He removed the saddle and Waldo led the animal away to the
dam. When he returned, the stranger had settled himself under the trees,
with his back against the saddle. The boy offered him of the cakes. He
dec