spot about three morgen, or six English acres, in extent, and walled all
round with impassable cliffs. Down the face of one of these cliffs fell
a waterfall forming a deep pool, out of which a stream ran, and on the
banks of this stream the new hut was being built in such a position that
the heat of the sun could strike it but little.

While he was taking note of these and other things Zinti saw some of
those who were working at the hut leave it and start to walk towards the
cleft. So having learnt everything that he could he thought it was time
to go, and slipped away back to the bush, and thence homewards by the
road which the cow had shown him.

Now, it chanced that as he went Zinti pierced his foot with a large
thorn so that he was only able to travel slowly. On the fifth night of
his journey he limped into a wood to sleep, which wood grew not much
more than two hours on horseback from our farm. When he had been asleep
for some hours he woke up, for all his food was done, and he could not
rest well because of his hunger, and was astonished to see the light of
a fire among the trees at some distance from him. Towards this fire he
crept, thinking that there were herds or travellers who would give him
food, but when he came to it he did not ask for any, since the first
thing he saw was Swart Piet himself walking up and down in front of the
fire, while at some distance from it lay a number of his men asleep in
their karosses. Presently another man appeared slipping through the tree
trunks, and coming to Swart Piet saluted him.

"Tell me what you have found out," he said.

"This, Baas," answered the man; "I went down to Heer Botmar's place and
begged a bowlful of meal there, pretending that I was a stranger on a