Part 23 (1/2)

”Why, he's been with you close on twenty years, hasn't he?” I said

”Rather more,” answered Brian ”But that's always the ith these chaps The longer they've been with you the e: for I don't s over-o, I suppose--eh, dad?”

”Oh, yes” Then it was put to Du himself off at a moment's notice after all these years, and that, too, just at a tihly trustworthy man to fill his position, after our friction with Kuliso This he deprecatorily admitted Still, if his relatives stood in need of hi us entirely in the lurch, for he had found a man as ready to take his place now at once, and as a good man with cattle In fact, he was over in his hut now

”Well, we'd better see hi one of the boys, despatched hier The boy reappeared in no tiravely, but showed no sign of ever having seen any of us before I own his sudden appearance startled ame, I wondered, and if so how on earth could it be that an old and faithful servant like Duainst us? Yet having good reason to bear in lish, I could utter no word of warning It was, however, unnecessary, for Brian had recognised him at once as the man I had pointed out in the street at Fort Lamport

”Why, that is one of Kuliso's people,” he said ”You are a Te ood?”

Dumela's reply to this seemed lame, and deepened my suspicions e Maqala, and thus have him more under our own observation? But Septimus Matterson cut the knot of the difficulty

”I won't have him,” he said ”I won't have him at any price I've seen hiain He is one of the people who raided us that day, one of the foremost of them too I wouldn't trust him further than I could see hi round the straight directness of this reply

Maqala said nothing He just flung his blanket round hied away; but as he did so the look he turned on me was not a pleasant one

On _ of relief I, then, was the object of his hostility Whatever nefarious sche, I was the destined victim of it--I and not the boy Well, that simplified the situation, for I was flattered to think I kne to take care of myself Yet, even then his implacability was not quite co sense of justice and are not vindictive when they realise that they have deserved whatever punishot, and if this one did not deserve the soh treatment I had twice meted out to him, why I didn't knoho did

Physically he was a tall, lithe speciht-coloured, and had an evil cast of countenance The expression of that countenance now, as he darted that quick parting glance atso much as a roused snake

Well, Duies or extravagant expressions on the strength of thus ter his twenty years' service He just bade us farewell, collected his tives, his cattle, and such pay as was due to him, and went We had to put on one of our farm boys in his place, and were to that extent short-handed, necessitating ed to be away froe y But for this I was not sorry, as it took e would accolad to have hi the h to hate hilaughingly but fir Iris, and now George, their e on

”D'you know, Holt, I' to feel beastly jealous of you”

”So? And why?”

”Why, the way you seem to have captured every one here”

”Didn't know it”

”But you have Why, it's 'Holt says this' and 'Kenrick thinks that' on all hands, till I believe if you weren't such a good chap I'd rather dislike you”

”'You do

Otherwise I hadn't the faintest idea of anything of the kind, and don't see why it should be so now”

I believe I spoke with needless bitterness, but at the reater reason I had for disliking him

”Well, but it is Good old Matterson isn't effusive, as you know, and I've never heard hi you

That time the Kafirs made that raid on you, he swears you stood by him like a brick”