nce over towards the bell
tent. "If they gave us real English officers now--"

"Ah!" said the biggest of his companions, who, in spite of his huge
form, had something of the simplicity and good nature of a child in his
handsome face; "it's because you're not a big enough swell, you know!
He'll be a colonel, or a general, before we've done with him. I call
them all generals or colonels up here; it's safest, you know; if they're
not that today they will be tomorrow!"

This was intended as a joke, and in that hot weather, and in that dull
world, anything was good enough to laugh at: the third man smiled, but
the first speaker remained serious.

"I only know this," he said, "I'd teach these fellows a lesson, if any
one belonging to me had been among the people they left to be murdered
here, while they went gallivanting to the Transvaal. If my mother or
sister had been killed here, I'd have taken a pistol and blown out the
brains of the great Panjandrum, and the little ones after him. Fine
administration of a country, this, to invite people to come in and live
here, and then take every fighting man out of the country on a gold
hunting marauding expedition to the Transvaal, and leave us to face
the bitter end. I look upon every man and woman who was killed here as
murdered by the Chartered Company."

"Well, Jameson only did what he was told. He had to obey orders, like
the rest of us. He didn't make the plan, and he's got the punishment."

"What business had he to listen? What's all this fine administration
they talk of? It's six years since I came to this country, and I've
worked like a nigger ever since I came, and what have I, or any men
who've worked hard at real, honest farming, got for it? Everything in
the land is given away for the benefit of a few big folks over the water
or swells out here. If England took over the Chartered Company tomorrow,
what would she find?--everything of value in the land given over to
private concessionaires--they'll line their pockets if the whole land
goes to pot! It'll be the jackals eating all the flesh off the horse's
bones, and calling the lion in to lick the bones."

"Oh, you wait a bit and you'll be squared," said the handsome man. "I've
been here five years and had lots of promises, though I haven't got
anything else yet; but I expect it to come some day, so I keep my mouth
shut! If they asked me to sign a paper, that Mr. Over-the-Way"--he
nodded towards the bell tent--"never