rself a man," he said, "and you let your father's best
friend die of hunger. Did I not know you had been circumcised, I should
think you were still a boy."

"Friend of my father," replied Maliwe, "I have given you all I have. Do
you want to eat my dog?"

"Given me all you have? What are those animals that I hear bleating
outside?"

"My master's sheep."

"Your master's sheep? Ho! ho! When hungry men are about, sheep have
no master. Would your father have let me die rather than take a hamel
from the flock of a rich, lazy boer, who never counts his sheep. Many a
sheep your father and I have lifted in the old days. We never wanted
meat. If my son were to let your father hunger, I would break his
head."

In the foregoing remarks the tempter had accidentally hit upon a fact.
Gert Botha, after a three years' experience of Maliwe's honesty and
carefulness, very seldom took the trouble to count his sheep.

"Friend of my father," said Maliwe, "I have never yet taken what
belonged to another. If you say my father stole, it may be so--but such
must have happened when he was young. He is now dead. When I was a lad
he told me he would kill me if I stole."

"Just as you say, when he was young," rejoined Kalaza. "And are you,
then, old? I wonder does old Dalisile know what a coward he is giving
his daughter to. In the good old days he would have sent you to show
that you could steal like a man--a young man--before you got your wife.
But it does not matter, I shall not die tonight, although I am old."

All this time Maliwe sat looking fixedly at the speaker, who, after a
pause, continued:

"My son Tentu wants a wife. I will go to Dalisile tomorrow and see
whether seven fat oxen will not tempt him to return your three skinny
cows, and send his daughter to my kraal across to Keiskamma, I have
heard of Nalai, and I think she will suit Tentu; at my kraal she will
never want milk."

Here again chance favoured the tempter. The one dread of Maliwe's life
was the rivalry of a rich suitor.

Maliwe bent his head over his knees, and remained in this posture for a
few minutes. He then stood up suddenly and strode out of the hut. Just
afterwards a sound as of sheep rushing about might have been heard
coming from the direction of the kraal. Kalaza heard it, and smiled. A
few minutes elapsed, and then Maliwe returned, carrying a young sheep
with its throat cut on his shoulder. This he flung down on to the
ground before Kalaza, sayin