Part 5 (1/2)

The said objects were only soht, and the cattle were not even his Yet a frown came over his face The cattle were poor, and one or two, to his experienced eyes, showed signs of disease

”Wyvern's, of course!” he pronounced to himself wrathfully ”Every case of redwater or _brand-ziekte_ in the whole country-side is sure to be traceable to Wyvern's cattle or sheep What the devil could have put into such a fellow's head that he was any good in the world at fanning?

He'd better stick to his fusty books and becoood for I doubt if he's even good for that I doubt if he's even good for anything”

These wrathful reflections were due to the fact that he had just met with a reain, for Wyvern was engaged to his daughter; and noas a question only of months perhaps, when Wyvern should be sold up

Then and there he e it up--we said ”again”--the sa that had haunted him on former occasions did so duly and onceoff would be a matter of no little difficulty even were it ever achieved at all Wyvern ht be a bad fanner, a hopeless one in fact, but he would be a hard nut to crack in a matter of this kind, and Lalante--well, here was a hard and fast alliance for the offensive and defensive, which would require a breaking power such as he could not but realise to hie, ain he had hts now, and as he drew near to his home his private worries seemed to oust his professional satisfaction over his own acuteness and the steady but sure accuoods of this world He had liked Wyvern well enough during the earlier period of their acquaintance--in fact h; but he had all the invariably successful man's impatience of--even contempt for--the chronically unsuccessful; and in this particular instance his oft repeated dictum to himself--and soood for himself or for anybody else either”

Suddenly he pulled up his horse with a jerk, and e it intently

”Oh-ho! So that's how the cat jurimly

He had reached the point where the track to Wyvern's far to his own The frown beca this way alone,” he pronounced, ”and I knohat horseback--and the saaame that must be stopped, and, damn it--it shall be”

In spite of which vehe returned to render Vincent Le Sage'shis horse at a walk; he was near home and there was no occasion for hurry But as he went, he read that road like the pages of a book He would find Wyvern at his place? Not a bit of it For he had ain he reined in, suddenly and shortly, for the horse-hoofs had ceased and with theled the print of boots--and the said boots spelt one of each sex From that point the spoor of one horse continued alone The other was a returning one This, then, here they had parted

Vincent Le Sage had every sign of the veldt at his fingers' ends, and here, these imprints on a scantily used road, were as the very elementary side of his craft to him They had not been made to-day; there were evidences of the effect of dew to show that They had been ht; that too, he took in, and doing so felt more than ever justified in his resentment What on earth had Lalante come to that she should ride over, alone, to this man's place directly his own back was turned, and--return with hiround for interference, and what his inner consciousness told hiainst Wyvern

”He'll be sold up,” he said to himself in hot wrath, as he covered the short distance which still lay between him and his homestead ”He'll be sold up, and I'll buy the place--I will, by God, even if it's the only rotten bargain I ever made in my life I won't leave the chance to any other fool, with so hih it won't be worth a tinker's twopenny damn for years to come Then he'll have to clear, and that's what I want”

A Hottentot stable boy ran to take his horse as he disarden path toof him was unreservedly affectionate Perhaps his own to her thawedin, father dear,” she cried, hooking her arh the open door into the cool rooot on But first of all, youa cupboard and producing a decanter of excellent Boer brandy ”Now, did you pick up anything worth having?”

”Not bad in a shter-oxen of Piet Nel's-- he's in a bad way, you know, and obliged to sell I can turn them down upon Hartslief at Gydisdorp, at an easy two pound a head profit, if noton Warren'll do the delivery for me on very small commission”

He had thawed stillto his coe was of the tyrannical order of parent may at once be jettisoned He was--as we have said--simply intolerant, to a fault, of the unsuccessful man

”Warren?” repeated Lalante, in some astonishment, as she placed the porous terra-cotta water-bottle wits its fresh, cool contents upon the table ”Was Mr Warren at the sale then?”

”No I ca in her father's tone, and the searching glance he threw upon her face as he said this, that struck the girl as strange

She had not expected him back by that particular way, but she failed to connect the circus of the day before The mysteries of spoor, of course, were rather outside her scope

”Oh, did you?” was all she said ”A little further round, isn't it?”