or his
skellum tricks?"

"Well," answered Old Hendrik, taking a fresh piece of sugar cane from
under his arm and biting a good two inches off it as he began, sitting
by the barn end, "dere was one time when he come so near it he would
a-got square if it hadn't a-bin Ou' Jackalse. It look one time like Ou'
Jackalse was a-goner, but bein' it was him, why o' cou'se--

"It come like dis. Ahter Ou' Wolf was new married, his missus she kep'
on a-yawin' about how he'd let Ou' Jackalse t'atch his tail fast, an'
steal his dinner, an' biff him wid bones, an' let him in for a bashin'
f'm de man wid de biltong waggon, till Ou' Wolf he 'gin to be mighty
glad he hadn't tol' her about all de rest o' de times Ou' Jackalse done
him down. But all de same it seem like he ain't save' much by not
tellin' her, for de ting she did know seem like it's quite enough to
keep her goin' all day an' every day, an double span on Sunday. If
she'd a-knowed more she couldn't ha' yawed more, 'cause dere ain't but
sev'n days in de week to yaw in when you've done your best. Ou' Wolf
couldn't stan' no more. He yust sneaked out an' off.

"Well, he see it stickin' out pretty plain dat he'll hatto get square
wid darie Ou' Jackalse or he'll hatto leave home--one or toder. But for
de life o' him he cahnt yust make up his mind what's de best way to do
it, an' he tink dat hard as he go along, and he tink dat close as he
stride along, dat fust ting he know he find hisse'f walkin' plump onto
Ou' Jackalse's house. He yust wake up in time to sit down sudden behin'
a bush till he see weder Ou' Jackalse is at home or not.

"Pretty soon he's pretty sure Ou' Jackalse ain't at home. In de fust
place dere ain't no smoke, an' nex' place de door's shut fas' an' de
window hole is bung up tight wid a vach-a-bikkie bush. `Dis is yust my
chance at las',' ses Ou' Wolf to hisse'f. `Dis is de time I's a-gun' to
get even wid darie ou' skellum. I'll yust go inside dere an' get behind
de door till he comes in. Den--well den--won't I bash him I'll feel
good, I will, when I biffs him. He won't; dere won't be no more'n a big
mess left of him: yust a grease spot to swear by.'

"Well, Ou' Wolf he shamber over an' sneak into de house an' hide hisse'f
behind de door, an' he hadn't more'n fit hisse'f into de cohner dan here
comes Ou' Jackalse home agen.

"But Ou' Jackalse he ain't de sort to walk into no place foolish unless
dere's sometin' extray on. 'Stead o' goin' strai