forward and bid Ralph good-day boldly, asking him if he had ever seen a
finer flock of sheep.

"I did not come here to talk of sheep," answered Ralph, eyeing him.

"Is it of a lamb, then, that you come to talk, Heer Kenzie, a ewe lamb,
the only one of your flock?" sneered Piet, for he had a gun in his hand
and he saw that Ralph had none.

"Aye," said Ralph, "it is of a white ewe lamb whose fleece has been
soiled by a bastard thief who would have stolen her," and he looked at
him.

"I understand," said Piet coldly, for he was a bold man; "and now, Heer
Kenzie, you had best let me ride by."

"Why should I let you ride by when I have come out to seek you?"

"For a very good reason, Heer Kenzie; because I have a gun in my hand
and you have none, and if you do not clear the road presently it may go
off."

"A good reason, indeed," said Ralph, "and one of which I admit the
weight," and he drew to one side of the path as though to let Piet pass,
which he began to do holding the muzzle of the gun in a line with the
other's head. Ralph sat upon his horse staring moodily at the ground, as
though he was trying to make up his mind to say something or other, but
all the time he was watching out of the corner of his quick eye. Just as
Swart Piet drew past him, and was shaking the reins to put his horse to
a canter, Ralph slid from the saddle, and springing upon him like light,