, won't you, and treat the place as your own?"
Then he vanished into the house to lie down.

When I had finished my pipe I went for a walk. First I visited the
waggon where I found Umslopogaas and his company engaged in cooking
the beast that had been given them, Zulu fashion; Hans with his usual
cunning had already secured a meal, probably from the servants, or from
Inez herself; at least he left them and followed me. First we went down
to the huts, where we saw a number of good-looking young women of mixed
blood, all decently dressed and engaged about their household duties.
Also we saw four or five boys and girls, to say nothing of a baby
in arms, fine young people, one or two of whom were more white than
coloured.

"Those children are very like the Baas with the red beard," remarked
Hans reflectively.

"Yes," I said, and shivered, for now I understood the awfulness of this
poor man's case. He was the father of a number of half-breeds who tied
him to this spot as anchors tie a ship. I went on rather hastily past
some sheds to a long, low building which proved to be a store. Here
the quarter-blood called Thomaso, and some assistants were engaged in
trading with natives from the Zambesi swamps, men of a kind that I had
never seen, but in a way more civilised than many further south. What
they were selling or buying, I did not stop to see, but I noticed that
the store was full of goods of one sort or another, including a great
deal of ivory, which, as I supposed, had come down the river from
inland.

Then we walked on to the cultivated fields where we saw corn growing
very well, also tobacco and other crops. Beyond this were cattle kraals
and in the distance we perceived a great number of cattle and goats
feeding on the slopes.

"This red-bearded Baas must be very rich in all things," remarked the
observant Hans when we had completed our investigations.

"Yes," I answered, "rich and yet poor."

"How can a man be both rich and yet poor, Baas?" asked Hans.

Just at that moment some of the half-breed children whom I have
mentioned, ran past us more naked than dressed and whooping like little
savages. Hans contemplated them gravely, then said,

"I think I understand now, Baas. A man may be rich in things he loves
and yet does not want, which makes him poor in other ways."

"Yes," I answered, "as you _are_, Hans, when you take too much to
drink."

Just then we met the stately Miss Inez returning from the store,