be strongest, an' dey gi'es
one Allah Crachty of a yank till dey fair tears--not demselves, but
young Leelikie, loose from Ou' Jackalse. An' you can see to dis day how
all de long hair was tore off his paws an' his yaws so bad it never grow
long any more," ended Old Hendrik solemnly.

"Oh, but," protested Annie, "what happened then when Ou' Jackalse got
loose?"

"Why dere wahnt nawtin' to happen," returned Old Hendrik in a little
astonishment. "Ou' Jackalse was loose, dat was what he was ahter, so he
went home an' sit down. But Ou' Baviyaan he was yust dat proud o' young
Leelikie bein' so smart as to ketch Ou' Jackalse dat way, dat it set de
fashion to leave de seat o' you' hide on a gummy stone, an' dat's how it
comes dat all de baviyaans has a cobbler's patch to sit down on
nowadays. It ain't for pretty but for proud dey wears it.

"So now you knows why," ended Old Hendrik solemnly.

CHAPTER THREE.

WHY OLD JACKAL DANCED THE WAR-DANCE.

A solid burst of rain; the hissing, thrashing deluge of the high veldt
had driven the hoe-wielders from the tobacco "lands," and the old
Hottentot had retired thankfully to the barn to work on a lambskin
kaross he was making for the mistress. There the children found him,
though for the moment they were quiet as their father stepped in to ask
Old Hendrik, in his strong American accent, if this rain was likely to
flush the Vaal too deep for crossing at the drift below.

"Well, baas," answered he, "dis hyer rain won't do it, p'r'aps, but I
seen it pretty black up de river all dis mawnin', an' I reckon de
drift's a-gun' to be too strong for goin' a-visitin'."

"Then I guess I ain't a-tryin' it," decided the baas, withdrawing to the
house.

The children took up the subject. "Is it goin' to be just _so_ big
wide, Ou' Ta'?" asked little Annie.

"Well, Ainkye," answered Old Hendrik, "p'r'aps it ain't a-goin' to be
yust so wide's it was when Ou' Jackalse danced de war-dance, and Ou'
Mensefreiter hit hisse'f on a rock into no bigger'n a water-millon; but
it's a-goin' to be too full fo' your daddy to go yust sa'nterin' troo
it."

"Oh, Ou' Ta', you never told us about that Mensefreiter at all," cried
the little girl reproachfully.

"Didn't I now?" cried Old Hendrik. "Well, I'd ought to anyhow, 'cause
it was mighty tough times for Ou' Jackalse an' Ou' Wolf dem days.
Besides, dis is de same drift right hyer below.

"You see," he went on, squaring himself on the sack of m