iries soon brought them to the object of their search--a long
low house standing back from the road. It was roofed with corrugated
iron, and on each side were wings containing apparently bedrooms,
opening onto the high _stoep_, for the doors stood wide open. In front
of the house was a barren-looking garden, shaded by a couple of
eucalyptus trees, growing one in each corner.

As they swung back the wooden gate which opened into the garden, the
owner came out onto the _stoep_. He was a tall, loosely hung man, with
the sallow complexion characteristic of the dwellers in the
semi-tropical coast country of Natal.

"Good day, gentlemen. Did you want to see me? I am Wayne."

Briefly Gerard explained the object of their visit.

"I don't quite know what to say," said Wayne. "We don't care as a rule
to take in boarders for so short a time, besides being pretty full up
just now. However, as you're new to the country, we'll do the best we
can for you, if you can manage with a room between you, that is; it's
not a very big one at that. Here it is."

He showed them into one of the rooms aforesaid, opening onto the
_stoep_. It certainly was not palatial, being about twelve feet square.
Its fittings consisted of a small iron bedstead, a ditto washstand with
a zinc basin and ewer, a rather dilapidated chair, a few pegs, and a
cupboard.

"But there's only one bed, and even that is too small for two people,"
cried Harry, in dismay.

The proprietor laughed.

"That's so. One of you will have to shake down on the floor. You can
toss up which it's to be."

"It will do us all right," said Gerard. "Now about terms."

The man named a figure which seemed reasonable enough.

"You see, we could put you in lower if you were going to stop. As it is
it wouldn't pay us."

"I see. We are quite satisfied," said Gerard.

"Right. Maybe you'd like to stroll up into the town a bit. Tea is at
seven. So long!"

"Pretty offhand, that chap," remarked Harry, as they walked along the
broad dusty road towards the town.

Lines of houses, similar to their new abode, and all built apart in
their own grounds, stood on each side of the road, behind hedges of
tamarisk or pomegranate. Tall bananas hung out their feathery tufts,
and the verandahs twined with cactus or jessamine looked cool and
inviting. A stretch of flat marshy land, extending to the blue waters
of the land-locked bay, was still dotted with shaggy tufts of the
"fores