face.

"'I couldn't live, could I, Flo?' he said to her. 'But I
can die. You watch--it'll be worth seeing. What's that you
have at your belt, Barend? Not money?'

"Barend nodded. 'Yes, it is money,' he said. 'The ou ma
sent it, if you should need it.'

"'Need it!' Emmanuel laughed harshly.

"'God, but I do need it. When didn't I? How much is it,
man?'

"'She would not have us stay to count it,' answered Barend.
'But it is a very great sum.' He loosened the bag from his
belt. 'All gold,' he added, and poured the sovereigns in a
heap on the tumbled bed.

"'God! said Emmanuel again, striving to sit up. The woman
at the door uttered a short oath and came forward with
parted lips and bent over the gold.

"'Laddie, it's a pile,' she said hoarsely. 'A jugfull!' Her
twitching hands ploughed through the heap, and the coins
tinkled among her fingers. She was glancing from one to
another of the men, and drew forth her hand clenched on a
full fist of sovereigns. Peter, still kneeling beside the
bed, made a noise in his throat.

"She bent her look on him, a look of narrow warlike eyes
and bared teeth, the first stare of a savage animal
disturbed on its kill; but the big Boer met her with a face
of calm.

"'The ou ma sent it for Emmanuel,' he said slowly, and rose
to his feet.

"She snarled at him, but Barend, with his teeth clenched on
his beard, moved to the door and stood there with his legs
apart and his great hands on his hips, filling up the way.
Emmanuel lay on his back, breathing a little hard, the
color pulsing in and out on his cheeks and a twisted smile
on his lips. She turned a second to him, as though to
appeal, but saw him as he lay and said nothing.

"'Put that money, Emmanuel's money, back on the bed!' said
Peter.

"She lifted it to her bosom as though to pouch it, but
Peter moved his arm and she flung the coins suddenly on the
floor, and laughed gratingly at him.

"'D'you see that, laddie?' she called to Emmanuel. 'Oh, you
sneering devil, gasping there, ain't you got a word to say
to me? Say, can't I have some of this cash? There's enough
here to spare me a fistfull.'

"'Lift me up, Peter,' said Emmanuel. Peter raised him till
he sat upright, and held him with a long arm about his
shoulders. Emmanuel reached forward hands thin as films of
milk, and shuffled the gold to and fro.

"'Can you have some?' he said, looking up at the woman.
'You! Yes, you man-wrecking pirate, go down on your knees