kraal and see if I could catch them. Indeed, it was from this habit of
mine of watching at night that I first got my native name of Macumazahn,
which may be roughly translated as "he who sleeps with one eye open." So
I took my rifle and rose to go. But he called me to him and kissed me on
the forehead, saying, "God bless you, Allan! I hope that you will think
of your old father sometimes, and that you will lead a good and happy
life."

I remember that I did not much like his tone at the time, but set it
down to an attack of low spirits, to which he grew very subject as the
years went on. I went down to the kraal and watched till within an hour
of sunrise; then, as no thieves appeared, returned to the station. As I
came near I was astonished to see a figure sitting in my father's chair.
At first I thought it must be a drunken Kaffir, then that my father had
fallen asleep there.

And so he had,--for he was dead!



CHAPTER II

THE FIRE-FIGHT

When I had buried my father, and seen a successor installed in his
place--for the station was the property of the Society--I set to work to
carry out a plan which I had long cherished, but been unable to execute
because it would have involved separation from my father. Put shortly,
it was to undertake a trading journey of exploration right through the
countries now known as the Free State and the Transvaal, and as much