no matter with what object, would be more
than likely to draw down upon him most unpleasantly practical
demonstrations of popular wrath, and that there were many who would be
only too glad of a pretext to foment, and take part in such he was well
aware. There was no harm in trying a little bluff though.

He might as well have spared himself the trouble. At all his threats
and promises Tom merely laughed good-humouredly. Then Sonnenberg,
shaking his fist in the boy's face, ordered him to clear out, to leave
his service there and then, which request was met with an equable
consent, and a demand for wages up to date.

"I'll see you in hell before I'll pay you a cent, you damned black
thief," screamed the Jew. "You've robbed me of more than enough
already. Get out of this, now, at once, or I'll kick you out."

"_Au_!"

"Do you hear?" screamed the Jew, advancing a step. But the other did
not move. He merely reiterated his demand for wages.

"You'll get nothing from me. Now go, before I kick you out. What--you
will have it? All right. Take that."

But "that" fell upon empty air. A very ugly look had come into the
Kaffir's ordinarily good-humoured face, as he deftly dodged the blow
aimed at him. Still, he did not return it. Sonnenberg, reading
weakness in this abstinence, rushed at him again.

To assert an intention of kicking a person out of anywhere may
constitute a tolerably resonant threat; but to render it in any way an
efficacious one, it follows that the kicker must be of a vastly more
powerful habit of body than the kickee, of which salutary consideration
Sonnenberg had completely lost sight as, foaming with rage, he returned
to the charge. Now, Tom was an extremely thick-set, muscular Kaffir,
who thought nothing of carrying a muidsack of mealies or other stuff on
his back as often as required, in the process of loading or off-loading
waggons in front of the store, whereas his employer was weedy and "soft"
all through, and took a precious deal more bad liquor than good
hardening exercise; consequently, when these two closed, the tussle
could have but one result. That result was Sonnenberg on his back in
the dust of the yard, and the Kaffir sitting upon him, the while
lecturing him on the advisability of promising to refrain from further
violence if permitted to rise. This the Jew, at length, help not
arriving, had no alternative but to do, whereupon his servitor was as
good as his word, and in