ior's only a
young 'un. I wouldn't let that count."

Edala did not want much persuading.

"We had better make a whole day of it then," she said. "I'll tell
Ramasam to put up lunch, and it had better be taken down to Bees' Nest
Kloof by one o'clock."

"All right, dear. Do that," said Thornhill rising.

By this time the new arrivals were riding up to the open space in front
of the stables; the dogs squirming and leaping around them and uttering
a perfectly frantic clamour. But it was an amicable riot this time, for
the guns carried by the two officials told those intelligent quadrupeds
that sport was afoot, wherefore they were simply beside themselves with
delight.

"Well, Elvesdon, how are you--how are you. Prior?" said Thornhill,
meeting the pair as they dismounted. "Why this is a case of the veriest
telepathy. Edala had just suggested we should show Miss Carden some
sport in the kloofs, and here you turn up, just in the very nick of
time."

"That so?" laughed Elvesdon. "Well, there was nothing particular doing
to-day, so this fellow here suggested we should invade you with an eye
to a buck or two."

"Glad of it. Come on in. Had breakfast?"

"Oh yes, before we left."

"Well, you'd better off-saddle for half an hour. We're not quite ready
ourselves."

Then the two girls came out. If Elvesdon, who was a sportsman to the
finger tips, had any misgiving that under the circumstances of two women
in the field the bag was likely to prove nothing very great, he decided
in his own mind, as he shook hands with Edala, that there were
compensations. The very plainness of her attire, the slight flush of
expectation in the flower-like face, the eager light in the clear blue
eyes, rendered the girl, in his sight, inexpressibly sweet and winning.
He thought he would contrive to keep her near him throughout the day,
even to the sacrifice, if need be, of his own share of the sport; which,
upon those terms, would be no sacrifice at all.

"And you, Miss Carden, are you a Diana too?" he laughed.

"No, no. I'm only going as a spectator."

"This little girl was shy about taking out a gun when she saw you
coming," said Thornhill, dropping a hand on to Edala's shoulder. "I
told her you wouldn't be hard on her if she misses."

"Er--I'm sure Miss Thornhill never misses," blurted out Prior,
immediately thinking himself an ass, an opinion in which Edala at the
moment freely shared.

"Well come on in, and have some