a person who possessed my trick of
intuition, and who had also spent years in warfare among the Matabele,
would be really able to answer your question?"

"And yet such questions have been answered before now by people far less
intuitive than you," I went on. "Why, I've read somewhere how, when the
war between Napoleon the First and the Prussians broke out, in 1806,
Jomini predicted that the decisive battle of the campaign would be
fought near Jena; and near Jena it was fought. Are not YOU better than
many Jominis?"

Hilda tickled the baby's cheek. "Smile, then, baby, smile!" she said,
pouncing one soft finger on a gathering dimple. "And who WAS your friend
Jomini?"

"The greatest military critic and tactician of his age," I answered.
"One of Napoleon's generals. I fancy he wrote a book, don't you know--a
book on war--Des Grandes Operations Militaires, or something of that
sort."

"Well, there you are, then! That's just it! Your Jomini, or Hominy, or
whatever you call him, not only understood Napoleon's temperament, but
understood war and understood tactics. It was all a question of the lie
of the land, and strategy, and so forth. If _I_ had been asked, I could
never have answered a quarter as well as Jomini Piccolomini--could I,
baby? Jomini would have been worth a good many me's. There, there, a
dear, motherless darling! Why, she crows just as if she hadn't lost all
her family!"

"But, Hilda, we must be serious. I count upon you to help us in this
matter. We are still in danger. Even now these Matabele may attack and
destroy us."

She laid the child on her lap, and looked grave. "I know it, Hubert; but
I must leave it now to you men. I am no tactician. Don't take ME for one
of Napoleon's generals."

"Still," I said, "we have not only the Matabele to reckon with,
recollect. There is Sebastian as well. And, whether you know your
Matabele or not, you at least know your Sebastian."

She shuddered. "I know him; yes, I know him.... But this case is so
difficult. We have Sebastian--complicated by a rabble of savages,
whose habits and manners I do not understand. It is THAT that makes the
difficulty."

"But Sebastian himself?" I urged. "Take him first, in isolation."

She paused for a full minute, with her chin on her hand and her elbow
on the table. Her brow gathered. "Sebastian?" she repeated.
"Sebastian?--ah, there I might guess something. Well, of course, having
once begun this attempt, and being definitely