No letter came, however, and I was soon too busy with preparations to look for one.

I got the bricks and timber from Pietersdorp, and hired two Dutch masons to run the job.

The place was not very far from Sikitola's kraal, so there would be no difficulty about native helpers.
Having my eyes open for trade, I resolved to kill two birds with one stone.

It was the fashion among the old-fashioned farmers on the high-veld to drive the cattle down into the bush-veld--which they call the winter-veld--for winter pasture.

There is no fear of red-water about that season, and the grass of the plains is rich and thick compared with the uplands.