"Cursing's a very bad habit, and only belongs to
times when wicked old men lived in old-fashioned plays and indulged in
it upon all kinds of occasions, especially when they had sons and
daughters who wanted to marry somebody else."

"Oh, Ingle! Oh, Ingle! The sky doesn't look so covered with black
clouds now."

"By no means, my lad! I can see enough blue sky to make a Dutchman a
pair of breeches--for Dutchman let's say Boer. I say, what do you say
to going out on patrol to-night?"

"Yes, yes, of course! But we have no guns!"

"Nor bandoliers, and that's a fact! Well, it's of no use to think of
getting our own back again, even if we said we repented and meant to
join the Boers at once."

"They wouldn't trust us!"

"Too slim! Fools if they did!"

"Then it is hopeless!" said West. "Someone would notice it at once!"

"Yes," said Ingleborough, "and those were beautiful rifles too. But
look here: I could see a way out of the difficulty, only you are so
scrupulous. One mustn't tell a diplomatic fib."

"I can't stand telling an outrageous lie, even under stern necessity!"
said West, pulling down his jacket after putting it on.

"And you are so horribly honest!"

"Yes," said West bitterly. "I have not, as Anson declared, been busy
buying illicit-diamonds. But why do you say this--what do you mean?"

"I meant that I'd have risked it as soon as it was dark, and crept away
to steal a couple of the Boers' Mausers--just like a cat--mouser after
Mauser--I say, what a horrible joke!"

West was silent.

"They say they're splendid pieces; but it would be a terrible theft,
because I should take the bandoliers too."

West was still silent.

"I say, lad," whispered Ingleborough, laughing gently: "you couldn't
object to my stealing the rifles that would be used to kill our men."

"How would you manage?" whispered West.

"Hah!" sighed Ingleborough, relieving his breast of a long pent-up
breath, as he looked up at the arched-in wagon-tilt: "this fellow's very
nearly as wicked as I am."

"Don't--don't joke!" said West: "the matter is too serious. How would
you manage?"

"Never you mind, old Very Particular! Leave that to me! By the way,
though, before I lie down and have a good nap, in case I should be out
all night, I don't think there is the slightest probability of our
joining the Boer forces, do you?"

"Not the slightest!" answered West drily. "There'll be plenty of
traitors to their country with