Part 27 (1/2)

”It was foolish of you, d.i.c.k,” said Clare tranquilly. ”But--I brought it for you.”

”You? You brought it?”

”Yes,” and diving down among some bundles under the seat, as calmly as though she were looking for a mere pocket-handkerchief, she pulled up a small travelling-bag, producing thence two revolvers and two boxes of cartridges.

”Clare, you're a jewel of a girl,” p.r.o.nounced the astonished Fullerton, as he took the weapon she handed him. ”But what's the other?

Wyndham's?”

”No. It's mine,” calmly loading it.

”Yours? That's no lady's toy anyhow. Why where on earth did you get it?”

”Mr Lamont gave it me--when he came to see us to say good-bye.”

”Lamont gave it you! Good Lord! But--why?”

”He knew there was going to be a rising, and said it might come in useful.”

”He knew--Well, I think he might have given some of us the benefit of his knowledge.”

”He did. He gave it to some, who hardly believed him, and to me--who did. I pa.s.sed on the benefit of it to you, but you wouldn't profit by it until too late. So here we are.”

”Do you mean to tell me, Clare, that the real reason you wanted me to take you into Buluwayo was because Lamont told you there was going to be a rising?”

Clare nodded.

”That's right, d.i.c.k. If I had told you the real reason you'd only have p.r.o.nounced it one of 'Lamont's scares'--just as the others did--and refused to move. As it is you've put off the said move too long.”

”Good Lord! You take my breath away!”

”I'll take it away still more directly,” she said tranquilly. ”What do you think of Mr Lamont having saved the whole of Gandela from being ma.s.sacred on the day of the race meeting?”

”Oh come, now, that's a little too fat!” answered Fullerton, yet not so incredulously as he would have answered, say that morning.

”Well, he did.” And then she told the whole story.

”I'm hanged if it doesn't sound probable,” said Wyndham. ”Heavens! if only they'd rushed us that day. Oh, it won't bear thinking about.”

”Sounds probable,” repeated Clare. ”It's more than probable--it's true.

I fell in with Mr Lamont up on Ehlatini the next morning, and he showed me all the tracks made by the impi. I picked up a couple of cow-tail armlets--or leglets--which they'd dropped, just like the ones these are wearing.”

”By Jove!”

There was silence after that Wyndham was anxious to get his team through a narrowing sort of point ahead, where the ground rose abruptly to an overhanging portal on either side, and where rocks and stones, shadowed by wild fig-trees, would afford dangerous cover to the enemy were he to arrive there first, even though apparently without firearms. Under the double incentive of whip and voice the mules seemed to have forgotten their fatigue and were pulling out manfully. But to her brother-in-law's suggestion, that she should give up the front seat to him and come in at the back, Clare returned a flat refusal.

”I want to see this,” she said, ”and see it well. You can put up the side sail and see it from there.”

”But that'll expose Lucy,” he fumed.

”No, it won't. You'll be in front of her. And they haven't got guns.”