e
careless assent.

"You are over there," said Luttrell, pointing to the other side of the
hall. He turned towards his own quarters, but a question from Hillyard
arrested him.

"What about that message for me?"

"I know nothing about it," Luttrell answered, "beyond what I wrote. The
telegram came from Khartum. No doubt they can tell you more at
Government House. Good night!"

CHAPTER VII

IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN

Just outside Senga to the north, in open country, stands a great walled
zareba, and the space enclosed is the nearest approach to the Garden of
Eden which this wicked world can produce. The Zoological Gardens of
Cairo and Khartum replenish their cages from Senga. But there are no
cages at Senga, and only the honey-badger lives in a tub with a chain
round his neck, like a bull-dog. The buffalo and the elephant, the
wart-hog and the reed-buck, roam and feed and sleep together. Nor do
they trouble, after three days' residence in that pleasant sanctuary,
about man--except that specimen of man who brings them food.

All day long you may see, towering above the wall close to the little
wooden door, the long necks and slim heads of giraffes looking towards
the city and wondering what in the world is the matter with the men
to-day, and why they don't come along with the buns and sugar. Once
within the zareba, once you have pushed your way between the giraffes
and got their noses out of your jacket-pockets, you have really only to
be wary of the ostrich. He, mincing delicately around you with his
little wicked red eye blinking like a camera shutter, may try with an
ill-assumed air of indifference to slip up unnoticed close behind you.
If he succeeds he will land you one. And one is enough.

Into this zareba Harry Luttrell led Martin Hillyard on the next morning.
Luttrell had an hour free, and the zareba was the one spectacle in
Senga. He kicked the honey-badger's tub in his little reed-house and
brought out that angry animal to the length of his strong chain and to
within an inch of his own calves.

"Charming little beast, isn't he? See the buffalo in the middle? The
little elephant came in a week ago from just south of the Khor Galagu.
You had something private to say to me? Now's your time. Mind the
ostrich, that's all. He looks a little ruffled."

They were quite alone in the zareba. The giraffes had fallen in behind
and were following them, and level with them, on Hillyard's side, the
ostrich ste