Part 45 (2/2)

”Now we've got it,” cried West, laughing, and watching the way in which the black hid his cash away. ”I say,” he continued, to his companion, speaking in English, ”where does he put that money to keep it safe?”

”I dunno,” said Ingleborough. ”It seems to come natural to these Kaffirs to hide away their treasures cunningly. See how artful they are over the diamonds! He doesn't put the cash in his trousers pockets, nor yet in his waistcoat, nor yet his coat, because he has neither one nor the other. I expect he has a little snake-skin bag somewhere inside his leather-loincloth. But here, I'm thirsty; let's have some water!”

As he spoke Ingleborough sprang up and walked towards the head of the spruit, followed by his companions, and they pa.s.sed the two ponies, which were hard at work on the rich green herbage along the border of the stream. Then, getting well ahead of them, all lay down and thoroughly quenched their thirst.

”Now,” said West, ”what next? We ought to go on at once,” and he unconsciously laid his hand upon the spot where the despatch was hidden.

”No,” replied Ingleborough, ”that won't do. We seem safe here, and we must hasten slowly. We're ready enough to go on, but the ponies must be properly nursed. They want more gra.s.s and a rest.”

”The sun is getting hot too,” said West, in acknowledgment of his comrade's words of wisdom.

”We'll stop till evening, lad,” continued Ingleborough, ”and take it in turn to sleep in the shade of those bushes if we can find a soft spot.

We had no rest last night.”

”I suppose that must be it,” replied West, and he joined in a sigh on finding a satisfactory spot beneath a ma.s.s of granite from which overhung a quant.i.ty of thorn-bush and creeper which formed an impenetrable shade.

The black followed them, noting keenly every movement and trying hard to gather the meaning of the English words.

”Two baas lie down long time, go to sleep,” he said at last, in broken Dutch. ”Olebo sit and look, see if Boer come. See Boer, make baas wake up.”

”No,” said West; ”you two lie down and sleep. I'll take the first watch.”

Ingleborough made no opposition, and after West had climbed up to a spot beneath a tree from which he could get a good stretch of the veldt in view, the others lay down at once and did not stir a limb till West stepped down to them, when the Kaffir sprang up without awakening Ingleborough.

”Olebo look for Boers now,” he said.

West hesitated, and the Kaffir grasped the meaning of his silence.

”Olebo come and tell baas when big old baas go to fetch Boers,” he said.

”So you did,” cried the young Englishman warmly, ”and I'll trust you now. Mind the ponies don't stray away.”

The black showed his beautiful, white teeth in a happy satisfied laugh.

”Too much gra.s.s, too much nice water,” he said. ”Basuto pony don't go away from baas only to find gra.s.s.”

”You're right!” said West. ”Wait till the sun is there!” he continued, pointing to where it would be about two hours after mid-day, ”and then wake the other baas.”

The Kaffir nodded, and West lay down to rest, as he put it to himself, for he was convinced that he would be unable to sleep; but he had not lain back five minutes, gazing at the sunlit rivulet and the ponies grazing, before his lids closed and all was nothingness till he was roused by a touch from Ingleborough.

The sun was just dipping like a huge orange ball in the vermilion and golden west.

”Had a good nap, old fellow?”

”Oh, it's wonderful!” said the young man, springing up. ”I don't seem to have been asleep five minutes.”

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