Instantly. He bowed slightly and took her hand. She pulled it away.

This is my youngest daughter, Katrina. You met her last night.

She does like me. Her fingers were long and squaretipped in his.

Sean risked his lips with a smile. Without her ministrations I might

have bled to death, he said. She smiled straight back at him but not

with her mouth. You wear your wounds well, maneer, the blue eye has an

air of distinction. That will be enough from you, girl Oupa spoke

sharply. Go and sit by your mother He turned to Sean. I was telling

you about this horse, I said to the fellow, "He's not worth five pounds

let alone fifteen, look at those hocks, thin as sticks. So he says to

me, trying to get me away, you follow, he says, "Come and look at the

saddle. " But I can see he's worriede, The thin cotton of the girl's

blouse could hardly contain the impatient push of her breasts, Sean

thought that he had never seen anything so wonderful.

There was a trestle-table next to the cooking fire; they went to it at

last. Oupa said grace. Sean watched him through his lashes. Oupa's

beard waggled as he spoke and at one point he thumped the table to

emphasize the point he was making to the Almighty. His amen had such an

Impressive resonance that Sean had to make an effort to stop himself

applauding and Oupa fell back spent. Amen, said ouma and ladled stew

from a pot the size of a bucket. Henrietta added pumpkin fritters and

Katrina stacked slices of fresh meahe bread on each plate. A silence

fell on the table, spoiled only by the clank of metal on china and the

sound of Oupa breathing through his nose. Mevrouw Leroux, I have waited

a long time to taste food like this again. Sean mopped up the last bit

of gravy with a piece of mealie bread. Ouma beamed.

There's plenty more, meneer. I love to see a man eat.

Oupa used to be a great trencherman. My father made him take me away

for he could not afford to feed him every time he came courting. She

took Sean's plate and filled it. You look to me like a man who can eat

I think. I'll hold my own in most company Sean agreed. So? Jan Paulus

spoke for the first time. He passed his plate to Ourna. Fill it up,

please, Mother, tonight I am hungry-Sean's eyes narrowed, he waited

until Jan Paulus had his plate back in front of him, then he took up his

fork deliberately. Jan Paulus did the same. Glory, said Ourna happily.

Here we go again. Oupa, you may have to go out and shoot a couple of

buffalo before dinner is finished tonight! will bet one sovereign on

Jan Paulus, Oupa challenged his wife. He is like an army of termites. I

swear that if there was nothing else he'd eat the canvas off the wagons.

All right, agreed Ouma. I've never seen the Bear eat before, but it

seems to me he has plenty of room to put it! Your woollen shawl against

my green bonnet that Jan Paulus gives up first, Katrina whispered to her

sister-inlaw. When Jannie has finished the stew he'll eat the

Englishmin, Henrietta giggled. But it's a pretty bonnet, I'll take the

wager. Plateful for plateful, Ouma measuring out each ladle with

scrupulous fairness, they ate against each other. The talk round the

table dwindled and halted. More? asked Ourna each time the plates were

clean, and each time they looked at each other and nodded. At last the

ladle scraped the bottom of the pot. That's the end of it, my children,

we will have to call it another draw. The silence went on after she had

spoken. Sean and Jan Paulus sat very still looking at their respective

plates. )an Paulus hiccupped, his expression changed. He stood up and

went into the darkness. Ah! listen! listen! crowed Ouma. They,

waited and then she exploded into laughter. The ungrateful wretch, is

that what he thinks of my food? Where's your sovereign, Oupa? Wait,

you greedy old woman, the game's not finished yet. He turned and stared

at Sean. To me it looks as though your horse is nearly blown Sean

closed his eyes. The sounds of Jan Paulus's distress came to him very

clearly. -Thank you for a, He didn't have time to finish. He wanted to

get far away so the girl couldn't hear him.

The following morning during breakfast Sean thought about his next move.

He would write an invitation to dinner and then he would deliver it

himself. They would for coffee and then, if he waited, have to ask him

to stay there would be a chance. Even Oupa would have to stop talking

sometime and Ouma might relax her vigilance.

He was sure there'd be a chance to talk to the girl. He didn't know

what he would say to her but he'd worry about that when the time came.

He climbed into the wagon and found pencil and paper in his chest. He

went f back to the table and spread the paper in front of him. He

chewed the end of the pencil and stared out into the bush.

Something moved against the trees. Sean put the pencil down and stood

up. The dogs barked then stopped as they recognized Mubi. He was

coming at a trot, he was coming with news. Sean waited for him.

, A big herd, Nkosi, with many showing ivory. I sawthem drink at the

river and then go back into the bush, feeding quietly. When? asked

Sean to gain time. He was searching for a plausible excuse to stay in

camp, it would have to be good to satisfy Mbejane who was already

saddling one of the horses. Before the sun this morning, answered Hlubi

and Sean was trying to remember which was his sore shoulder, he couldn't

hunt with a sore shoulder. Mbejane led the horse into the laager. Sean

scratched the side of his nose and coughed. The tracker from the other

camp follows close behind me, Nkosi, he too has seen the herd and brings

the news k I to his master. But 1, being as swift as a springbok when I

run, have outdistanced him, Hlubi ended modestly. Is that so? For Sean