ont
recognised him as Father Mathias, one of the priests attached to the
Buluwayo Mission.

"Good evening, Father," he called out, as he came up. "Rather far
afield, aren't you? This is an unexpected pleasure. I hope we are
travelling the same way, because I'm already a good bit sick of my own
company."

"Mr Lamont, is it not?" said the priest, speaking with a foreign
accent. "Ah yes. We met in Gandela, did we not? I too--I shall be
very glad of company."

They rode along, chatting. The while, Lamont was eyeing the other's
horse, a sorry-looking beast at best, and, besides its rider, was loaded
up with a fair amount of luggage, in the shape of a large rolled valise
across the horn of the saddle and a couple of well filled-out
saddle-bags on each side.

"You'd better let me help you with some of that load," he said at last.
"In fact we'll transfer the lot. My horse is as fresh as paint, and
won't feel it."

"Oh, I could not think of letting you do that, Mr Lamont. A few pounds
more or less make no great difference."

"Don't they? I don't know if you have ever walked with a knapsack,
Father, but I have--and it's just that very pound or so extra that makes
all the difference in the world. Are you going to ride that horse all
the way to Buluwayo?"

"Yes. But I shall have a day's rest at Skrine's Store, where I have to
look after some of our people."

"Thirty-five miles. You will hardly get him there--certainly not
to-night. You had better come home with me."

The other feared that this was impossible, as, after they had journeyed
together up to a certain point, it would be right in the contrary
direction. But he ceased to combat Lamont's offer to relieve him of
some of the load.

"You don't travel light, Father," laughed Lamont, as he finished
strapping the valise across his own saddle.

"But this is not my own luggage. I have been on a round of visitation,
and wherever I find some of our people they are glad of the opportunity
to hear Mass. It is the ornaments required for the Mass that are in
these saddle-bags."

"Oh, I understand now," said Lamont. "I thought it was camping outfit.
Well, that is shepherding the flock and no mistake--and that over a
pretty wide run."

"That is what we are here for, Mr Lamont. It is possible we may miss
some, but we try not to."

"I'm sure you do," assented Lamont heartily. "Why, you are proverbial
in this country as models of energy."

"That is p