ered, I
say, what sort of figure I should cut in the eyes of Major Sewin's
highbred looking daughters should they happen suddenly to ride up and
thus discover me; then I wondered why the deuce I should have thought
about it at all.

The boys were soon satisfied, and I gave them a bit of tobacco apiece by
way of clenching the deal, for it is bad policy to earn a name for
stinginess among natives. But instead of going away they squatted
themselves down outside. I did not immediately follow them.

"What was I saying, Iqalaqala?" began Tyingoza, as soon as I did. "The
Ingisi down there is clearly anxious to herd his own sheep himself.
These children he has sent away, saying they were of no use. But, you
may hear from themselves. Speak."

Thus ordered, the two, squatting there, told their tale over again, and
it did not take long in telling. They had been employed to herd sheep,
and that morning the Major's "son"--as they described him--had ridden up
to them in the veldt, and had become very angry about something; what it
was they had no notion for they could not understand one word he said,
which seemed to anger him still more, for he had cuffed one of them over
the head and kicked him. One thing he was able to make them understand
and this was that they should clear off the place. They had done so,
but neither of them were pleased, as was natural; indeed there was that
in the face of the cuffed and kicked one, which savoured of
vindictiveness, and was a clear indication that sooner or later, and in
some shape or form, the ill-advised settler would have to pay somewhat
dearly for that act of violence.

I smoothed matters down as far as I was able: pointing out, I hoped with
some tact, that they were young, and a little roughness now and then
must be expected to come their way--it was not as if they had attained
the dignity of head-ringed men--and so forth. They appeared to accept
it, but I'm afraid they did not.

"What is thy name?" I said to the aggrieved youth.

"Atyisayo."

"Ha! Atyisayo! Meaning hot. Hot water," I rejoined. "Well you have
got into hot water, as the proverb runs among us whites--as we all do
sooner or later especially when we are young. But we get out of it
again, and so have you, and you must think no more about it," I
concluded.

"M-m! But he has not paid us anything. The Ingisi has sent us away
without our hire."

"He will give it you. He is hot tempered but not a cheat.