THE MOXKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 51 



grip, and roll over and over. Presently the other Dutchman 

 ran up, and, putting the muzzle of his gun to our chief's 

 head, blew out his brains. From high up on the hill we 

 saw the other humanfolk gather around and carr)* their friend 

 away to the house. We don't know if he was dead. Any- 

 way, he must have been badly wounded, for our leader 

 had powerful eye teeth, with grooves do^^Ti the front of 

 them, Hte a cobra's fangs. 



Many of those of us who escaped were more or less 

 wounded. Some pined and died. 



HOW THE PLOT WAS LAID 



It was fooHsh for us to have been so conceited as to 

 think we knew more than the humanfolk. But there are 

 plenty of you humanfolk who are just as conceited. \\'hy, 

 most of you think you know more than your \^-ise men, and 

 actually make fun of them. Long ago, when your wise 

 men told you that the locusts would increase and eat up 

 the grass and the crops and bring ruin upon great numbers 

 of you, they were laughed at. \Mien they tell you how the 

 cattle and other plagues are spread, you know better than 

 they, and won't follow their advice — and you suffer the 

 consequences. 



Well, now, about that plot. It seems the craft\- old 

 Boer had sat on his stoep and smoked and imbibed strong 

 coffee night after night, busy thinking, thinking, thinking. 

 One night he suddenly began pufBng with aU his might 

 at his pipe, which happened to be a hoUow meahe cob, or 

 rather a portion of one, with a reed for a stem. Draining 

 his big mug of black coffee, he called lustily to his family. 



Then, when all were comfortably settled, with steaming 

 mugs of coffee before them, he told them of a plot he had 

 hatched out. " To-morrow you, Hendrik, must saddle 

 up and ride off to Piet Marten's farm, and ask him to ride 



