"Damn the House of Gcaleka, anyway," said Carhayes, with a sneer as the savage, having vented his denunciation, stalked scowlingly away with his compatriots. "Look here, _isidenge_," [fool], he continued. "This is my word. Keep clear of me, for the next time you fall foul of me I'll shoot you dead. And now, Eustace," turning to his companion, "we had better load up this buck-meat and carry it home. What on earth is the good of my trying to preserve the game, with a whole location of these black scum not ten miles from my door?" he went on, as he placed the carcase of the unfortunate steinbok on the crupper of his horse. "No good. No good, whatever, as I am always telling you," rejoined the other decisively, "Kafir locations and game can't exist side by side. Doesn't it ever strike you, Tom, that this game-preserving mania is costing you--costing us, excessively dear." "Hang it. I suppose it is," growled Carhayes. "I'll clear out, _trek_ to some other part of the country where a fellow isn't overrun by a lot of worthless, lazy, red Kafirs. I wish to Heaven they'd only start this precious war. I'd take it out of some of their hides. Have some better sport than buck-hunting then, eh?" "Perhaps. But there may be no war after all. Meanwhile you have won the enmity of every Kafir in Nteya's and Ncanduku's locations. I wouldn't give ten pounds for our two hundred pound pair of breeding ostriches, if it meant leaving them here three days from now, that's all." "Oh, shut up croaking, Eustace," snarled Carhayes, "And by the way, who the deuce is this sweep Hlangani, and what is he doing on this side of the river anyway?" "He's a Gcaleka, as he said, and a petty chief under Kreli; and the Gaikas on this side are sure to take up his quarrel. I know them." "H'm. It strikes me you know these black scoundrels rather well, Eustace. What a queer chap you are. Now, I wonder what on earth has made you take such an interest in them of late." "So do I. I suppose, though, I find them interesting, especially since I have learned to talk with them pretty easily. And they are interesting. On the whole, I like them."