nce on the part of Harry Stride.
Then he said--

"Robson, you villainous old humbug. Is the whole thing a yarn, or any
part of it, or what?"

"Well, Sipuleni told me. He had it from some other nigger. You know
how these fellows gossip together, and how news spreads. Ho, Sipuleni!"
he called.

"_Nkose_!"

The boy came. Him Harry Stride began volubly questioning, or rather
trying to, for Harry Stride's Zulu was defective. Sipuleni turned,
puzzled and inquiring, to his other master.

"Oh, damn it! these silly devils don't understand their own language.
You go ahead, Robson."

Robson did, and soon elicited that Ben Halse and his daughter had slept
at Malimati _en route_ for Ezulwini, just as he had told the other. He
was enjoying the latter's eagerness and uncertainty.

"Yes, I'd like to see old Halse again," repeated Stride, when the boy
had been dismissed. "He's a thundering good old chap. I say, Robson,
we don't seem to be doing over-much here at present. Let's take a ride
over to Ezulwini for a day or two. What do you say?"

Robson was a big, burly north-countryman, and the very essence of
good-nature. He shook his head and winked.

"Ye'd better go alone, lad, if your horse'll carry you. And he won't,
I'm thinking, if you try to make him do it in a day and a half."

"He'll jolly well have to. I think I'll start to-morrow. Sure you
won't come?"

Robson shook his head slowly.

"Dead cert.," he answered. "I'd like to have a crack with Ben Halse;
but Ezulwini's rather too far to go to see--_him_. Fine girl that of
his, ain't she?"

"Rather. I can't make out how she gets through life stuck up there in
that out-of-the-way place."

"Well, she does, and that's all in her favour; women being for the most
part discontented, contrarious things--especially discontented. You'd
better sail in quick, lad, if you mean biz. There's bound to be a run
on her when she gets in among other folks."

"Hang it, don't I know that," was the answer, given with some
impatience. "The fact is, Robson, she was too awfully good to me when I
was hung up at Ben's place after that crack on the nut. I haven't been
able to get her out of my system ever since. Look here. Shall I tell
you something I never let out before? She--refused me."

The other nodded.

"Ay! She wouldn't jump at anybody. But why not try your luck again?
Go in and win, lad, go in and win."

"By Jove! I've a devilish good mind to--to tr