prised look
on my face, called there by the exceedingly light way in which he was
taking things. "You see it isn't as if we had had a lot to do with each
other. Of course I don't for a moment hope that the poor old boy has
come to grief, in fact I can't help feeling that he may turn up any
moment and want to know what the devil I've taken up my quarters at his
place for, in this free and easy way."

After a good dinner, washed down with a glass or so of grog, we went to
look at the place where the missing man had slept. This didn't help
towards any theory. If there had been foul play, whoever had been
concerned in it had removed all traces long ago.

"A good hound, requisitioned at first, would have done something towards
clearing up the mystery," I said.

"Yes, but you might as well have requisitioned a good elephant, for all
you'd get either round here," laughed Kendrew. "Well, I shall just give
it up as a bad job and leave it to Simcox. That's what he draws his pay
for. I'll just sit tight and boss up things so long. That's my job."

"I'd like to have a word or two with the boy who saw him last," I said.
"Alone I mean."

"Think you can get him to talk, eh? Well perhaps you may--I've heard of
you, Glanton, and what a chap you are for managing Kafirs. All right,
stop on till this evening, the boy's out herding now. Then you can
_indaba_ him to your heart's content after supper. You'll stay the
night of course."

But I urged that such was not in my programme, and in fact I had some
business to attend to next day irrespective of mere retail trade in the
store. So we compromised by my consenting to remain till evening.
There was sufficient moon for me to ride home by even if it rose
somewhat late. I suggested that we should ride out into the veldt in
the afternoon and I could interview the boy there. He would talk more
freely that way, and Kendrew agreed.

The boy was a quiet, decent looking youngster, and was herding his flock
in most exemplary fashion. I asked him his name.

"Pecamane, 'Nkose!"

"Have I seen you before?"

"More than once, _Nkose_. At Isipanga, at the store. Then again, when
we danced and ate beef."

"Ah. You were there then? Who is your chief?"

"Tyingoza, _Nkose_."

Kendrew had ridden on, leaving me alone with the boy.

"Well then," I said, "if Tyingoza is your chief you will be safe in
telling _me_ the story of your master's `who is no longer here.'"

"_Ou_! _N