“Fresh, thank you.”
“Well, I don’t know when I ever felt so happy. I don’t know why I should” (here he thought he had been possibly injudicious in revealing his blissful condition to Koos) “after all the money I’ve been losing lately, and after the price I’m going to pay you for these cattle; but somehow I do.”
Koos lit his pipe and smoked in silence. The Trek-Boer is seldom lively; in fact he is usually silent whenever he can possibly avoid speaking.
“Koos, have you heard that the old nigger who got Willem into that mess is here working for me, hired by my brother?”
“Ja, I heard so.”
“Of course, I will give him the sack as soon as ever I can get another boy.”
“Ja, I am glad to hear that.”
“Koos, why don’t you get him on the quiet and give him a good licking?”
“Ja, I should like to do that if you will not mind.”
“Mind! No; I’ll be only jolly glad if you will do it. But take him on the quiet, give him his dressing when there’s no one about. Whatever you do, don’t trust my brother; he makes quite a pal of him.”