This done, he once more changed the wet handkerchiefs, and went out to
find Jack outspanning the cattle, and talking in a loud voice to his
wife.

"Jack," he said, "the baas is very bad. You must go back to
Morgenstern's and take this."

He handed the tied-up paper to the Kaffir, who took it, turned it over,
and then handed it back, looking at his young master in the most
helplessly stupid way.

Dyke repeated the order, and pointed toward the direction from which
they had come, forcing the letter into Jack's hand.

It was returned, though, the next moment.

"Jack bring wagon all alone," he said.

"Yes, I know; but you must go back again. Take plenty of mealies, and
go to Morgenstern's and give him that."

"Jack bring wagon all alone," the black said again; and try how Dyke
would, he did not seem as if he could make the Kaffir understand.

In despair he turned to Tanta Sal, and in other words bade her tell her
husband go back at once; that he might take a horse if he thought he
could ride one; if not, he must walk back to Morgenstern's, and carry
the letter, and tell him that the baas was bad.

"Baas Joe go die," said the woman, nodding her head.

"No, no; he will live if we help," cried Dyke wildly. "Now, tell Jack
he must go back at once, as soon as he has had some mealies."

"Baas Joe go die," reiterated the woman.

"Hold your tongue!" roared Dyke angrily. "You understand what I mean.
Jack is to go back.--Do you hear, Jack? Go back, and take that to
Morgenstern's."

The Kaffir and his wife stared at him heavily, with their lower jaws
dropped, and after several more efforts, Dyke turned back to the house
to continue his ministrations.

"They understand me, both of them," he cried bitterly; "but he does not
want to go, and Tant wants him to stay. What shall I do? What shall I
do?"

He changed the handkerchiefs, and rushed out again, but the Kaffirs were
invisible; and going round to the back, he found Jack squatted on his
heels, eating the hot cake his wife was baking. But though Dyke tried
command and entreaty, the pair only listened to him in a dazed kind of
way, and it was quite evident that unless he tried violence he would not
be able to make the Kaffir stir; while even if he did use force, he felt
that Jack would only go a short distance and there remain.

"And I can't leave here! I can't leave here!" groaned Dyke; "it would
be like saying good-bye to poor Joe for ever."

Clinging