t thing I knew
was my first pipe dropping out of my mouth very soon indeed after I had
lighted it.

We inspanned early the next morning, and as we progressed our way became
more hilly. Thick bush came down to the road in many places, and twice
we forded a drift of a river, whose muddy and turbid current rose to the
axles. The high broken country, copiously bush-clad, was delightful to
the eye, but oh, the heat of the sun in those scorching valley bottoms,
where, when we were not jolting over uneven masses of stone, were
wallowing painfully through inches and inches of thick red dust. Now
and then we would pass a string of transport waggons, or a traveller on
horseback, and in the middle of the day we outspanned at a farm of the
rougher kind. Towards evening we entered a long, wild, beautiful valley
resonant with the cooing of doves and other sounds of evening peace, the
bleating of homing flocks and the lowing of cattle; and as we rounded a
bush-clad spur and a homestead came into view I felt no surprise that
Brian Matterson should turn to me with the remark--

"Here we are at last, Holt; and there's Beryl, on the look-out for us."

CHAPTER SEVEN.

BERYL.

He reined up the Cape cart at the gate of a picturesque verandah-fronted
house which stood against a background of wild and romantic bush
scenery. Not for this, however, had I any eyes at that moment; only for
the personality which was framed as it were within a profusion of white
cactus blossoms which overhung the garden gate.

"Well, Beryl!" he sang out, as we got out of the trap. "Here's an old
school chum I picked up by the merest fluke down at East London. I
brought him out here to see a little African life, so for the present
I'll hand him over to you. Give him a cool chair on the stoep, and a
ditto drink, while I go and see to the outspanning, and to things in
general. Dad still away, I suppose?"

"Yes. He'll be back this evening, though. I'm expecting him every
minute."

"So long, then."

Now I have already explained that I am by nature a reticent animal, and
may add that I have a sneaking horror of being taken for a susceptible
one. Wherefore I had refrained from questioning Brian on the way
hither, as to the outward appearance or inner characteristics of his
elder sister, and he, while mentioning the fact that he had another
sister, who kept house for them--for their mother was long since dead--
and a younger brother, had not ente