there were plenty in the bush. I
had the impression, of which Wardlaw had spoken, that the native
population of the countryside had suddenly been hugely increased. The
woods were simply hotching with them. I was being spied on as before,
but now there were so many at the business that they could not all
conceal their tracks. Every now and then I had a glimpse of a black
shoulder or leg, and Colin, whom I kept on the leash, was half-mad with
excitement. I had seen all I wanted, and went home with a preoccupied
mind. I sat long on Wardlaw's garden-seat, trying to puzzle out the
truth of this spying.

What perplexed me was that I had been left unmolested when I had gone
to Umvelos'. Now, as I conjectured, the secret of the neighbourhood,
whatever it was, was probably connected with the Rooirand. But when I
had ridden in that direction and had spent two days in exploring, no
one had troubled to watch me. I was quite certain about this, for my
eye had grown quick to note espionage, and it is harder for a spy to
hide in the spare bush of the flats than in the dense thickets on these
uplands.

The watchers, then, did not mind my fossicking round their sacred
place. Why, then, was I so closely watched in the harmless
neighbourhood of the store? I thought for a long time before an answer
occurred to me. The reason must be that going to the plains I was
going into native country and away from civilization. But
Blaauwildebeestefontein was near the frontier. There must be some dark
business brewing of which they may have feared that I had an inkling.
They wanted to see if I proposed to go to Pietersdorp or Wesselsburg
and tell what I knew, and they clearly were resolved that I should not.
I laughed, I remember, thinking that they had forgotten the post-bag.
But then I reflected that I knew nothing of what might be happening
daily to the post-bag.

When I had reached this conclusion, my first impulse was to test it by
riding straight west on the main road. If I was right, I should
certainly be stopped. On second thoughts, however, this seemed to me
to be flinging up the game prematurely, and I resolved to wait a day or
two before acting.

Next day nothing happened, save that my sense of loneliness increased.
I felt that I was being hemmed in by barbarism, and cut off in a
ghoulish land from the succour of my own kind. I only kept my courage
up by the necessity of presenting a brave face to Mr Wardlaw, who was