sing aversion had engendered
in him suspicions of which he was more than half ashamed, fancied he
detected a slight change of manner on his host's part, as he frankly
avowed his own utter lack of prospects or means, and a corresponding
increase of cordiality towards Harry Maitland, who was not prone to
underrate himself or his possessions.

"I remember your mother perfectly well, Gerard," said Anstey. "But I
never saw your father. So they shipped you off to shift for yourself,
eh? Well, we must see what can be done for you. And what are your
plans, Maitland?"

"Oh, I must first go round and look up a lot of people I've got
introductions to," was the airy reply. "Nothing like looking around a
bit before making up one's mind, eh?"

"Quite right, quite right," nodded their host approvingly, inking
another glass of grog, which, by the way, was the sixth he had taken
since he came in. Then he proposed they should light their pipes and
stroll round and look in at the store.

The latter was a long low room, with a counter running through it.
This, as also the shelves lining the walls, was covered with goods--
blankets and rugs, canisters of coffee and sugar, brass wire and bangles
and every species of native "track," biscuit and paraffin tins. Strings
of beads of every conceivable hue, overcoats, and flannel shirts, and
moleskin trousers hung from pegs, and clusters of _reims_, or raw-hide
thongs--for rope is but little used in South Africa--in fact, half a
hundred varieties of the genus "notion" for supplying the needs of
customers, native or white.

The room was pretty full of tobacco smoke and natives, who suspended
their conversation and nudged each other as they recognised the two
young strangers against whom their aid had been invoked for hostile
purposes, but who were now hand in glove with the proprietor behind the
counter. A lanky youth in shirt-sleeves, with a mud-coloured, wispy
face, was presiding over the transactions.

"Well, Smith, how's `biz'?" said Anstey. The wispy youth shrugged his
shoulders and growled some inarticulate reply in monosyllable. Then, on
being introduced to the new-comers, he extended a limp paw to each, and
returned to his former occupation of measuring out roll tobacco to a
native, always with the same wooden and vacant expression.

"Well, how do you think you'd like storekeeping?" said Anstey, as he
went through the performance which he jocosely termed "showing them
roun