Part 28 (2/2)

”To carry despatches to the rooineks?”

”No,” replied West. ”Your men searched us and found no despatches.”

”Messages then. You were going to the British forces?”

”We should have joined them after a time, perhaps,” said West, speaking more coolly.

”He's lying!” said Anson sharply. ”Have them searched again!”

The Boer commandant nodded, gave the order, and half-a-dozen of his men came forward, after which the prisoners were ordered out of the wagon, and they let themselves down, when they were thoroughly searched from head to heel--of course, without result, and the Boer chief turned frowningly to Anson.

”They must have hid the letter somewhere about the wagon then!”

”Two of you get in and search!” said the commandant.

This was carefully carried out, and the men descended.

”Then they must have destroyed their message before you took them,”

cried Anson, ”or somehow since.”

”They were carefully searched as soon as they were taken,” observed one of the field-cornets.

”Yes,” said the commandant, ”and I saw it done. Well, they will not carry any news to Mafeking. Tell them that the British are being swept into the sea east and south, and their rule is at an end. I want brave men who can ride and fight, so if they like to join the Federal forces and do their duty there will be a prosperous time for them. If they refuse there will be a long imprisonment, perhaps something worse.”

”Mr Anson, the renegade, need not trouble himself, sir,” said West quietly. ”Neither my companion nor I will do as he has done.”

”You had better!” said Anson sneeringly. ”It's a grand chance for you now your characters are gone and the I.D. detectives are after you.”

Ingleborough looked at the speaker sharply; but Anson made believe not to notice it and went on.

”You've no character now, either of you,” he continued coolly. ”Old Norton came after me as I was trekking south, utterly sick of the English lot. He came on the old pretext: that I had bought diamonds and was carrying them off. He searched again, and then I told him the simple truth--that you two had volunteered to carry despatches so as to get clear off with the swag you had acquired--after accusing me; but he professed not to believe me, and took me back to Kimberley, but the very next day he started off with half-a-dozen men to fetch you back, and I came away.”

”With the diamonds you had hidden?” said Ingleborough sharply.

”Perhaps,” replied Anson coolly. ”So, you see, you had better join our party, for even if you escaped it would only be for the police superintendent to get hold of you both, and if he did, you wouldn't find him such an excellent friend.”

”Wants thinking about!” said Ingleborough drily. ”But 'our'

party--'our'?”

”Yes,” said Anson coolly. ”I've made up my mind to belong to the right owners of the country for a long time past. We've got the gold at Johannesburg, and the diamonds at Kimberley are ours by right, and we're going to have them.”

There was a murmur of satisfaction from the Boers at this, and Anson went on nonchalantly: ”That is one reason why I consented to serve the company in such a beggarly position. I wanted to learn all I could about the mining so that it might come in useful when we of the Boer party took possession.”

”And then, I suppose,” said Ingleborough, ”you'll expect to be manager-in-chief?”

”Well, I don't go so far as that,” said Anson; ”but, with my knowledge of the management of the mining business, I feel sure my Boer friends will find it to their advantage to retain me high up on the staff. You see, there are so many things in the way of checking losses which I have mastered.”

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