He grasped the fact that Captain Kettle was not in
a mood to be trifled with.

"Now, Mr. Telegraph Clerk, as you understand this tack-hammer language,
and as I could see you've been following all the messages that's been
sent, just tell me the whole lot of it, please, as near as you can
remember."

"He called up London first, and gave what sounded like a registered
address, and sent the word 'corruscate.' That's probably code; anyway I
don't know what it meant. Then he called the Cape, and sent a message to
the Governor. He hadn't got to the end, and there was no signature, but
it was evidently intended to make them believe that it was sent from the
Colonial Office at home."

"Well," said Kettle, "what was the message?"

"Good Lord, man, he's directing the Governor to declare war on the
Transvaal. You know there's been trouble with them lately, and they'll
believe that it comes from the right place. If this is some
stock-jobbing plant--"

"It is."

"Then, by heavens, it'll be carried through unless you let me stop it at
once. The thing's plausible enough--"

But here White recovered from his temporary scare, and cut in with a
fine show of authority. "S'help me, Kettle, you're making a pretty mess
of things. You make me knock off in the middle of a message, and they'll
not know what's up at the other end if I don't go on. Look at
that mirror."

"I see the spot of light winking about."

"That's the operator at the next station calling me."

"But is it true what this gentleman's been telling me?"

"I suppose it is, more or less. But what of that? What did you lose your
temper for like this? You knew quite well what we came here for."

"I knew you came to steal money from stockbrokers. I knew nothing about
going to try and run my country in for a war."

"Poof, that's nothing. The war would not hurt you and me. Besides, it
must go on now. I've cabled my partner in London to be a bear in Kaffirs
for all he's worth. We must smash all the instruments here so they can't
contradict the news, and then be off."

"Your partner can be a bear or any other kind of beast, in any sort of
niggers he chooses, but I'm not going to let you run England into war at
any price."

"Pah, my good man, what does that matter to you? What's England ever
done for you?"

"I live there," said Kettle, "when I'm at home, and as I've lived
everywhere else in the world, I'm naturally a bit more fond of the old
shop than if I'd never go