k?" went on the Commandant, as
he extracted the last captured lizard specimen from the lethal
pickle-bottle.

"Don't know. I'm not up in scientific natural history."

"Well, he's quite an uncommon variety. Shall have to look him up when I
get back to my library."

Greenoak exchanged a comical look with Dick Selmes. The Commandant, for
the moment, attached more importance to the capture of this miserable,
uninviting little specimen of the lizard tribe, than he did to the
stirring and momentous events of the last couple of days. And yet--were
the alarm again to be given, no man in that camp would be more readily
on the spot, the very personification of cool and calm collectedness.

There were other humours in the life of the camp which every now and
then would come to the fore. One day a trooper, charged with trying to
shoot himself with his carbine, was marched before the Commandant. The
latter looked at him in a half-abstracted, lack-lustre sort of way, then
ordered him extra musketry practice--"for," he added, with
characteristic dryness, "a man who can't hit himself at no yards isn't
likely to be able to hit an enemy at so many."

Then Corporal Sandgate returned to the Kangala and reported for duty.
His foot was quite healed now, and all he asked for were a few chances
of being even with the brutes who had tortured him.

"Well, the prime mover in it is here in the camp now, old chap," said
Dick Selmes. "But you won't be able so much as to punch his head, for
he's shot through the leg. Besides, I believe the old man's
contemplating taking him on as a native 'tec." And he told the other
how the Kafir had put them in the way of capturing the two chiefs.

"Well, you've been in luck's way, Selmes," said Sandgate, wistfully,
"although you've got winged yourself. You've come in for a lot of hard,
lively service, while I've been kicking up my heels rotting in hospital
at Isiwa. Some fellows have all the luck. Mine, of course, is to be
reduced, if not hoofed out of the Force."

"Bosh! Not a bit of it. Buck up, old chap! You're far too useful to
the Force for that. Why, man, you did a splendid service. If I had
been in your place I expect I'd have given away the whole show."

But Sandgate refused to be comforted. He had been found wanting when
engaged upon service of vital importance. There was no getting behind
that.

A few days later he was sent for by the Commandant. It happened that he
and Di