"She's always squatting over a fire," said Dyke to himself, as he went round to the back, for there was Tanta Sal down in a wonderfully frog-like attitude, turning herself into a very vigorous natural bellows, to make the fire glow under the kettle. She looked up and smiled, drawing back her thick lips as the lad approached. "Baas Joe die?" she said. "Look here!" roared Dyke fiercely: "don't you say that to me again. No--_No_--No--No!" Tanta Sal stared at him and shook her head. "Breakfast!" cried Dyke laconically. That she understood, and Dyke hurried away to take a sharp glance round before going back to his brother's side. It was needed. The cows were not milked, and not likely to be; the horses had not been fed, and the ostriches were clamouring for food. Just then he saw Jack peeping at him from round the corner of one of the sheds; but as soon as he caught sight of his young master, he drew back. Instead of going on, Dyke darted round to the other side of the building, knowing full well that if he ran after him, Jack would dash off more quickly than he could. So stopping and creeping on over the sand, he peeped round and saw the man before him just about to perform the same act. Consequently Dyke was able to pounce upon the Kaffir, whom he seized by the waist-cloth. "Here, I want you," he cried sternly, and in a gruff voice which he hardly knew for his own. "Baas want?" "Yes: go and begin milking the cows. I'll send Tant to you directly." The man showed his teeth, and stood shaking his head. To his utter astonishment Dyke shifted his grasp, and caught him by the throat with one hand, and shook his fist in his face. "Look here," he said; "you can understand English when you like, and you've got to understand it now. Baas Joe's sick." "Baas Joe go die," said the man. "Baas Joe go live," cried Dyke fiercely, "and he'll flog you well if you don't behave yourself. You go and milk those two cows, and then feed the ostriches and horses, or I'll fetch Duke to watch you, so look out." Jack's jaw dropped at the mention of the dog, and he hurried away; while Dyke, after a glance at the wagon, which stood just where it had been dragged with its load, was about to re-enter the house, when he caught sight of three Kaffirs watching him from beyond one of the ostrich-pens. "Who are you?" he said to himself. "What do they want?" He went quickly toward them, but they turned and fled as hard as they could go, assegai in hand, and the boy stopped and watched them for some time, thinking very seriously, for he began to divine what it all meant. "They have heard from Tant that Joe is dying, and I suppose I'm nobody. They are hanging about to share everything in the place with our two; but--" Dyke's _but_ meant a good deal. The position was growing serious, yet he did not feel dismayed, for, to use his own words, it seemed to stir him up to show fight. "And I will, too," he said through his teeth. "I'll let 'em see."