"Well, I just dropped down in the tambuti grass, and wormed forward to where I could see over a bit o' rock. Then I drew a careful bead on the exact spot where the nigger would stand to finish off the chap, and--by the Lord!--there the nigger was, with an axe all ready in his fist. In about a second he had skipped his own length in the air, and was prancing about on the ground. He'd got it through the head, you see." "Good! Did the other show up?" "Didn't he? They showed up together. He cleared. But he was too late. I got him too." "Good old right and left! Well done, Peters! And the white man--who was he, and was he badly damaged?" "He wasn't damaged at all. But he'd have been dead of thirst before night, even if the niggers had never sighted him. He's a Johnny Raw, and he'd been drawing sort of figures of eight all about that mopani patch for the last forty-eight hours. I didn't tell him there'd been any shootin', or any niggers at all, and ain't going to. That sounds like the carts," as the noise of wheels and whip cracking drew nearer and nearer. "Yes; it is." As the carts drew up, Lamont went back into the room for a moment to get something he had left. When he turned, a tall figure stood in the doorway framed against the darkness beyond. "Lamont--isn't it?" This was a fairly familiar method of address from a perfect stranger, even in a land of generally prevailing free-and-easiness, and Lamont stiffened. "Let me see, I know the voice," he said, staring at the new arrival. "But--" The other laughed. "Thought I'd give you a little surprise," he said. "I'm Ancram. We were staying at Courtland together, don't you remember?" "Oh yes--perfectly. Come in. I didn't recognise you at first because-- er--" "I haven't had a shave for a week," supplemented the other, with an easy laugh. "Well, we can put that right now." "It did make a difference certainly. Well, and how are you, Ancram?" "Hallo!" sung out Peters, appearing at the door. "Brought off your surprise yet, Ancram? He said I wasn't to give away his name, Lamont, because he wanted to spring a surprise on you. Ha-ha!" CHAPTER THREE. TAKING IN THE STRANGER. Decidedly Lamont had had a surprise sprung upon him. Whether it was an agreeable one or not is another matter. His greeting of the new arrival was polite rather than cordial; even pleasant, but not spontaneous. There was a vast difference in his handshake here to that wherewith he had welcomed Peters, for instance; nor did he use the formula, "Glad to see you." Ancram noticed this, and so did Peters.