Part 7 (1/2)

Of course I gave higy pulled up, and there got out a strongly-builtbut determined face, which reminded me more of Beryl than of Brian, and a thick, full, brown beard, sorey, and as Brian speedily introduced us his welcome of me was all that could be desired in the way of frank cordiality

”I hope you will be able to make some stay with us, Mr Holt,” he said

”You have spent the night here, and, I take it, have seen e have to offer you; but such as it is, you are very welcome”

So this was Brian's father! I confess he inspired inof cordiality--for it was one of admiration I knew men pretty well by that time, and was a bit of a cynic on the subject; but now I saw before me one whom I read as rather a unique specimen--a ht think--a h it were to his own detriment; in short, in this frontier stock-farht be put down, or under what circumstances, would be a very tower of reliability: cool, intrepid, sound of judgood, come ill And in all my subsequent friendshi+p with Septimus Matterson, I never had cause to swerve one hair's breadth from my first impression--save in one instance only

Now as two Kafirs came up to stand at the horses' heads, soy--a boy to hoest son He was a boy of about fourteen, a good-looking boy, but with a roving mischievous look in his face; a boy, in short, to whom I did not take one bit Equally readily I could see that he did not take to land, hey?” said this hopeful ”Man, but you'll find it different here”

Now this was hardly the forster of his tender age to a man very considerably his senior;about it which prejudiced ainst the speaker; in fact, I set him down at once as an unlicked cub

But of course I showed no sign of what I was thinking, and the work Brian had been superintending being at an end, we all went round to count the flocks--I don't mean I bore any part in that operation, not then--and adjourned to the house for breakfast

CHAPTER NINE

MAINLY VENATORIAL

Beryl looked wholly fresh and delightful as she welcomed us, and it was hard to believe she had been up nearly three hours ”seeing to things,”

as Brian put it There was a good deal of talk, of wholly local interest, with regard to the expeditions of both father and son, and the results thereof, but even it was by no means without interest to me, for, after all, it let e new surroundings Presently the young hopeful, looking up froe and o down to Zwaart Kloof thisand try for a bushbuck ram”

”Well, I don't know Yes Perhaps Mr Holt would like to try his luck

What do you say, Holt?”

I said I'd like nothing better, but for the trifling drawback that I had no gun--being only a shi+pwreckedbut the clothes he stood up in But this was speedily over-ruled

There were plenty of guns in the house No difficulty about that

”Can you shoot, Mr Holt?” said the youngster, planting both elbows on the table, and eyeing me with rather disdainful incredulity

”Well, yes, I can shoot,” I said ”Moderately, that is”

”But you're out froh that settled the o and tell them to saddle up Bles and Punch for us,” said Brian ”You can ride Jack”

A volu been silenced by Brian in quiet and peremptory fashi+on, the hopeful went out

”I'e rather a spoilt boy, Mr Holt,” said Beryl ”He and Iris seeht

They are the little ones, you see”

Of course I rejoined that it was quite natural--reserving irl it was candid: in the other-- well ”boy” to me is apt to spell horror; but a spoilt boy, and just a boy of George Matterson's age, well--to fit him, my vocabulary has never yet been able to invent an adequate superlative