tenderly
enfolded."

After three days they returned to Bulawayo, and found their pilot
impatient to be off. He unfolded his plans, and the two girls listened
eagerly when he said:

"I am told there is every indication of gold in the Victoria district,
and my engineer is anxious I should journey down there and see one or
two properties. The railway does not extend beyond Selukwe, so if we
go we must take a travelling ambulance and tents and sleep out in them
for three or four weeks. I think there is a pretty good hotel in
Edwardstown, where you could remain if you like while I travel round,
and then we might all journey to Salisbury up the old pioneer route."

The girls were delighted, but Aunt Emily's mournful resignation had
reached its limit. She informed them, in a voice which implied, no
matter how they pleaded with her, she should remain firm, that nothing
would induce her to accompany them upon such a journey.

Her brother said quietly, "Just as you like, Emily. I think I can take
care of the girls. Will you stay in Bulawayo, or go back to
Johannesburg?"

Aunt Emily's face wore rather a reproachful expression as she replied,
"I suppose I had better return to Johannesburg, and then if any of you
get ill with malaria or typhoid, you must wire for me and I will come
back."

"You were very good to come so far," said Meryl gently, seeing the
veiled disappointment that they could dispense with her so easily.

"If it is any consolation," volunteered Diana, "you may be quite sure
we are all going to be most horribly uncomfortable for the next month
or two. The only illness I anticipate is an utter and complete
weariness of life. I don't know which sounds the most dreadful: being
bumped along dusty roads in an ambulance, and sleeping with snakes and
toads under a tent; or being stifled in an odious little
corrugated-iron hotel, living on poisonous tinned stuffs in a
perpetual odour of stale roast nigger. If I am going to endure it for
my country, I hope my country will give me the only fitting
reward--the Victoria Cross."

"Perhaps we needn't stay in the hotel," said Meryl hopefully. "We can
probably camp out. Surely the wonderful old ruins are somewhere near
Edwardstown, father? How splendid if we could camp beside them!..."

"Quite near. We will certainly go and see them. They tell me there is
a police camp there, and at this time of the year it is quite
healthy."

"But how glorious!..." cried Meryl. "I had