."

"And so I divulge it to you first, instead of to my fellow-man Orwell,
R.M., or Isard, commanding the Matabeleland Mounted Police in Gandela.
Why?"

Clare looked puzzled.

"I don't know why," she said. "But it seems a dreadful responsibility."

"So I was inclined to think--in fact, very much did think--when having
mapped out my plans everything seemed to conspire to smash them up.
Yourself among the said everything."

"Myself? Now, how?"

Lamont smiled that queer sour smile again.

"Why, certainly. Didn't you make a point of my entering for the
tent-pegging? What would have happened if I'd won? I couldn't receive
a prize by deputy. Didn't you want me to help you and your sister, what
time to have left the side of our worthy and reverend magician would
have been fatal?"

"Yes. I did that," said Clare penitently. "But, Mr Lamont, how on
earth could I have foreseen that anything of the kind was brewing?"

"No, you couldn't. I'm not blaming you, you understand, no, not for a
moment."

What was this? Not blaming her? Blaming _her_! Clare Vidal was not
accustomed to be `blamed' any more than to have her requests refused,
especially in this land where there were not even enough women to go
round, as she was fond of putting it. She was wondering what awful and
scathing rejoinder she would have made to any man who should have
ventured on such a remark to her a day or two ago. Yet to this one,
lounging back there with one elbow resting on a big cold stone, lighting
his pipe, she had no thought of scathing rejoinder. She was all aglow
with admiration of his nerve and self-reliance.

"Then there was a bore of a fellow--Jim Steele--who was rather screwed,
and wanted me to fight him, silly ass! Of course I wasn't going to do
that there, under any circumstances, but he--and the other idiots who
thought I was afraid of him--little dreamt how they were trying to dig
their own graves. For our worthy schemer Qubani would have thought me
grotesque with a swelled eye, and you are bound to sustain some such
damage in a rough-and-tumble with a big powerful devil like Steele. It
was important then that Qubani should not think me grotesque."

"Yes, I know. I've heard about that affair. There's very little that
doesn't get round to us, in a small place like this, Mr Lamont. And
you told him you'd meet him later--I know all about it, you see. Well,
you mustn't. It's not at all worthy of grown men to act l