hing and came doubling back, clattering into
Hamilton's room unceremoniously.

"There is one thing I forgot to say," he said, "about those sweepstake
tickets. If I happen to be killed on any future expedition that you may
send me, you will understand that the whole of my moveable property is
yours, absolutely. And I may add, sir," he said at the doorway with one
hand on the lintel ready to execute a strategic flank movement out of
range, "that with this legacy I offer you my forgiveness for the
perfectly beastly time you have given me. Good morning, sir."

There was a commanding officer's parade of Houssas at noon. It was not
until he stalked across the square and clicked his heels together as he
reported the full strength of his company present that Hamilton saw his
subordinate again.

The parade over, Bones went huffily to his quarters.

He was hurt. To be told he had been shirking his duty touched a very
tender and sensitive spot of his.

In preparation for the movement which he had expected to make he had
kept his company on the move for a fortnight. For fourteen terrible days
in all kinds of weather, he had worked like a native in the forest; with
sham fights and blank cartridge attacks upon imaginary positions, with
scaling of stockades and building of bridges--all work at which his soul
revolted--to be told at the end he had shirked his work!

Certainly he had come down to headquarters more often perhaps than was
necessary, but then he was properly interested in the draw of a
continental sweepstake which might, with any kind of luck, place him in
the possession of a considerable fortune. Hamilton was amiable at lunch,
even communicative at dinner, and for him rather serious.

For if the truth be told he was desperately worried. The cause was, as
it had often been with Sanders, that French-German-Belgian territory
which adjoins the Ochori country. All the bad characters, not only the
French of the Belgian Congo, but of the badly-governed German lands--all
the tax resisters, the murderers, and the criminals of every kind, but
the lawless contingents of every nation, formed a floating nomadic
population in the tree-covered hills which lay beyond the country
governed by Bosambo.

Of late there had been a larger break-away than usual. A strong force of
rebellious natives was reported to be within a day's march of the Ochori
boundary. This much Hamilton knew. But he had known of such occurrences
before; not on