ten to the tales of others.
The only fault he had to find with our heroes was, that they were too
moderate in the use of his "Cape Smoke."

He was a convivial man,--one who knew of nothing better to do after a
long day's work than getting what is termed "jolly" in the company of
friends. He did not care to imbibe alone, and he declared that nothing
looked worse than that, except to see a man drinking too often in the
presence of others, when they refused to do justice to his generosity.

According to his own account, he had been hard at work on his farm
throughout all that day, and in the rain. Why, then, should he not
cheer himself after such protracted exposure? The "smoke" was the very
thing to do it. His guests were welcome to the best his house could
afford, and all the compensation he would ask in return for his
hospitality would be the satisfaction of seeing them make themselves at
home.

On the part of the boer there was a strong determination to make his
guests intoxicated; but this was not observed by them. They only
believed that his hospitality was pushed a little too far,--so much so
as to be rather annoying. But this was a fault they had observed in
many, who were only trying to put on their best behaviour, and,
considering its unselfishness, it could be readily excused.

Notwithstanding the many hardships Groot Willem and his companions had
endured in their various excursions, they had never deemed it necessary
to use ardent spirits to excess; and the frequent and earnest entreaties
of the boer, backed by his fat and rather good-looking "vrow," could not
induce them to depart from their usual practice of abstemiousness. The
boer pretended to be sorry at his inability to entertain his youthful
guests.

Notwithstanding his assertions to the contrary, however, the hunters
passed a long and pleasant evening by his fireside.

The supper provided for them, as well as everything else, except some of
their host's hunting stories, was very good. It was so seldom that the
man had an opportunity of entertaining guests, that it seemed
ingratitude on their part to deprive him of the pleasure he enjoyed;
and, yielding to his solicitations, they did not retire until a late
hour.

But there had been one chapter in the conversation of the evening to
which none of our adventurers listened with much pleasure. It was a
statement made by the boer, after he had partaken of several glasses of
the "smoke."

"