Part 31 (2/2)
”I'm just off sentry!” the Boer said good-humouredly. ”I must have shaved that Kaffir somewhere and not hurt him much. As soon as I was relieved I went and had a good look for him; but there wasn't so much as a drop of blood.”
”Poor wretch!” thought West.
”Lucky for him!” said Ingleborough, in Dutch.
”But I made the beggar drop the jacket,” said the Boer, laughing; and, to the delight of the prisoners, he sent it flying into the wagon.
That was all, and the sentry strode away, just as West bounded upon the recovered garment like a tiger upon its prey.
”Say bless him!” whispered Ingleborough.
”Oh, Ingle!” groaned his companion, in a choking voice: ”I can feel the despatch quite safe.”
”Hah!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Ingleborough.
”And such a little while ago I was ready to curse fate and the very hour I was born!”
”And very wrong of you too, my son!” said Ingleborough, in tones which betrayed some emotion. ”Cursing's a very bad habit, and only belongs to times when wicked old men lived in old-fas.h.i.+oned plays and indulged in it upon all kinds of occasions, especially when they had sons and daughters who wanted to marry somebody else.”
”Oh, Ingle! Oh, Ingle! The sky doesn't look so covered with black clouds now.”
”By no means, my lad! I can see enough blue sky to make a Dutchman a pair of breeches--for Dutchman let's say Boer. I say, what do you say to going out on patrol to-night?”
”Yes, yes, of course! But we have no guns!”
”Nor bandoliers, and that's a fact! Well, it's of no use to think of getting our own back again, even if we said we repented and meant to join the Boers at once.”
”They wouldn't trust us!”
”Too slim! Fools if they did!”
”Then it is hopeless!” said West. ”Someone would notice it at once!”
”Yes,” said Ingleborough, ”and those were beautiful rifles too. But look here: I could see a way out of the difficulty, only you are so scrupulous. One mustn't tell a diplomatic fib.”
”I can't stand telling an outrageous lie, even under stern necessity!”
said West, pulling down his jacket after putting it on.
”And you are so horribly honest!”
”Yes,” said West bitterly. ”I have not, as Anson declared, been busy buying illicit-diamonds. But why do you say this--what do you mean?”
”I meant that I'd have risked it as soon as it was dark, and crept away to steal a couple of the Boers' Mausers--just like a cat--mouser after Mauser--I say, what a horrible joke!”
West was silent.
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