there will be any fighting, West?"

"I can't say," was the reply; "but we're going to be perfectly ready for
the Boers in case there is, and it's quite time we were off,
Ingleborough, if we intend to answer at the roll-call."

"Hah! Yes," cried the young man addressed. "Better come with us,
Anson."

The latter shook his head, and his companions separated from him at the
gate.

"Better come," said Ingleborough again. "Join, and then you'll be on
the spot if we do form a band."

"Oh no!" said Anson, smiling. "You make up your minds at headquarters
to form a band, and then, if you like, I'll come and train it."

"He's a rum fellow," said West, as the two young men fell into step.

"Ah," said Ingleborough roughly, "I am afraid Master Anson's more R.
than F."

"More R. than F?" said West questioningly.

"If you must have it in plain English, more rogue than fool."

"Well, I fancy he isn't quite so simple as he pretends to be."

"Bah! I'm not a quarrelsome fellow, but I always feel as if I must kick
him. He aggravates me."

"Nice soft sort of a fellow to kick," said West, laughing.

"Ugh!" ejaculated Ingleborough, and his foot flew out suddenly as if
aimed at the person of whom they spoke. "Don't know anything about
diamonds! What things people will do for the sake of a bit of
glittering glass! Look here, West, for all his talk I wouldn't trust
him with a consignment of stones any farther than I could see him."

"Don't be prejudiced!" said West. "You don't like him, and so you can
only see his bad side."

"And that's all round," replied Ingleborough laughing. "No; I don't
like him. I never do like a fellow who is an unnatural sort of a prig.
He can't help being fat and pink and smooth, but he can help his
smiling, sneaky manner. I do like a fellow to be manly. Hang him! Put
him in petticoats, with long hair and a bonnet, he'd look like
somebody's cook. But if I had an establishment and he was mine, I
should be afraid he'd put something unpleasant into my soup."

"Never mind about old Anson," said West merrily, "but look here. What
about that illicit-diamond-buying? Do you think that there's much of it
taking place?"

"Much?" cried his companion. "It is tremendous. The company's losing
hundreds of thousands of pounds yearly."

"Nonsense!"

"It's a fact," said Ingleborough earnestly; "and no end of people are
hard at work buying stolen diamonds, in spite of the constant sharp
look-o