inutes.

"_Nkose_! There is only one thing I would ask," he said, "and that is
that you will tell me when three moons are dead whether you regret
having kept me on or not."

I thought the request strange, and laughed as I willingly gave him that
promise. I still held to my theory that he had broken gaol somewhere or
other, and had decided that he had now found a tolerably secure
hiding-place; and if such were so, why from my point of interest that
was all the better, if only that it would keep him on his best
behaviour.

All the morning of the day following on my return I was busy enough, but
by the early afternoon felt justified in starting to pay my first visit
to the Sewins.

As I took my way down the bush path I had plenty of time for thought,
and gave myself up to the pleasures of anticipation. Those last words:
"You will come and see us directly you return. I shall look forward to
it," were ringing in a kind of melody in my mind, as my horse stepped
briskly along. And now, what would my reception be? It must not be
supposed that I had not thought, and thought a great deal, as to the
future during the couple of months our trip had lasted. Hour after hour
under the stars, I had lain awake thinking out everything. If all was
as I hardly dared to hope, I would give up my present knockabout life,
and take a good farm somewhere and settle down. If not--well I hardly
cared to dwell upon that. Of Falkner in the light of any obstacle,
strange to say I thought not at all.

From one point of the path where it rounded a spur the homestead became
momentarily visible. Reining in I strained my eyes upon it, but it
showed no sign of life--no flutter of light dresses about the stoep or
garden. Well, it was early afternoon, hot and glowing. Likely enough
no one would be willingly astir. Then a thought came that filled my
mind with blank--if speculative--dismay. What if the family were away
from home? The stillness about the place now took on a new aspect.
Well, that sort of doubt could soon be set at rest one way or another,
and I gave my horse a touch of the spur that sent him floundering down
the steep and stony path with a snort of surprised indignation.

We had got on to the level now and the ground was soft and sandy. As we
dived down into a dry drift something rushed at us from the other side
with open-mouthed and threatening growl, which however subsided at once
into a delighted whine. It was Arlo--a