now, and sarcastic. And it's our last day."

"Why, hang it, the chap isn't going to be away for a year," cut in
Suffield, who was at that moment struggling with a villainously
manufactured lucifer match, which gave him rather the feeling of smoking
sulphur instead of tobacco. And then there was a clatter of hoofs
behind, and they were joined by a couple of Boers of the ordinary type,
sunburned and not too clean of visage--one clad in "store-clothes" the
other in corduroy, and both wearing extremely greasy and battered slouch
hats. These, ranging their wiry, knock-kneed nags alongside, went
through the usual ceremony of handshaking all round, and thereafter the
swapping of pipe-fills with the male element in the party.

Boers, in their queer and at times uncouth way, are, when among those
they know, the most sociable of mortals, and never dream that their room
may be preferable to their company; wherefore this accession to the
party was heartily welcomed by Mona, for now these two could ride on
ahead with Charlie and talk sheep and ostriches, and narrate the bold
deeds they had done while serving in Kreli's country, in
Field-Commandant Deventer's troop, which had just returned covered with
laurels--and dust--from that war-ridden region. But alas! while one
carried out this programme to the letter, his fellow, the
"store-clothes" one, persisted in jogging alongside of Roden discoursing
volubly, of which discourse Roden understood about three words in
twenty.

"_Ja, det is reegt, Johannes_," ["Yes. That is right."] the latter
would assent in reply to some statement but poorly understood. "Darn
the fellow, can't he realise that two's company, three's a bore--in this
instance a Boer! Nay what, Johannes. _Ik kan nie Hollands praat. Jy
verstaand_, [I can't talk Dutch. You understand?]. Better jog on and
talk to Suffield, see? He can talk it like a Dutch uncle; I can't."

"_Det is jammer_?" ["That's a pity."] said the Boer, solemnly shaking
his head. Then after a moment's hesitation he spurred up his nag and
jogged on to join the other two.

The open veldt now lay outstretched before them, and Suffield and the
two Dutchmen were cantering on some distance ahead. Rearing up on their
left rose the great green slopes and soaring cliff walls of the mountain
range, and, away on the open side, the rolling, grassy plains,
stretching for miles, but always bounded nearer or farther by mountains
rising abruptly, and cu