as smart and well up to his
work, and socially was the only man in the place with whom he could
associate on even terms, except the District Surgeon, who was a trifle
too fond of his glass, and inclined to be dictatorial. Morkel, for his
part, reciprocated the liking. His chief was easy-going, and
good-natured in the matter of leave officially, and socially took a sort
of paternal and friendly interest in him. These two Civil servants,
therefore, got on admirably together.

"Well, the thing has got to be done," went on Jelf, "and the only way to
find out Dutch feeling is to go around among the Dutch. I haven't the
time to do it, and if I had it wouldn't help, because they'd all shut up
like oysters before me. But with you it would be different, Morkel.
They'd look upon you as one of themselves." He little thought how hard
he was stamping on the corns of his subordinate; the fact being that,
although born of Dutch parentage on either side, Morkel's weakness was
to imagine himself thoroughly and intensely English. "You would have to
affect Boer sympathies, though, and we know that under the present
Ministry that doesn't damage a Civil servant at headquarters, eh? What
do you think of the idea?"

"It's a first-rate one, sir. I might go around as if on a sort of
wandering shoot."

"Yes. Take your gun with you. That'll give colour to the affair. You
can have my trap and horses, only spare the springs all you can in going
through some of those bad drifts. You'd better take a week of it.
Harvey can do a lot of your work for you. He's almost too good a man
for a chief constable. You'd better get as far up into the
Wildschutsberg part as you can; they say the Boers up that way are the
worst--especially since that firebrand, Andries Botma, has been his
rounds. Look up Kershaw too; they say the fellow is three parts Boer in
his sympathies. You might be able to get something out of him."

A knock at the door and the Court constable, being bidden to enter,
announced that Mynheer Stephanus De la Rey wanted to see the Civil
Commissioner.

"The very man," exclaimed the latter. "You must get to his farm,
Morkel. You're sure to hear something there. Show him in, Hendrik."

Stephanus entered, and as he did so Morkel went out, laden with the
circulars that needed attention.

Left alone with the magistrate, Stephanus looked a trifle ill-at-ease.
His frank geniality seemed to have left him as he replied to that
o