hirty-eight or forty, tall,
raw-boned and with curling hair that had a decided auburn hue. In the
absence of any description of Rupert's chum, Dudley had no idea of what
he was like, and until he approached this MacGregor his curiosity was
not likely to be satisfied.

"Excuse me," began Wilmshurst. "I believe your name is Robert
MacGregor?"

The Rhodesian, without showing any surprise at the subaltern's
question, merely nodded. A man who has lived practically alone for
years in the wilds is not usually ready with his tongue.

"Did you ever run across a man called Wilmshurst--Rupert Wilmshurst?"
continued Dudley. "He's my brother, you know," he added by way of
explanation.

"Yes," replied MacGregor slowly. "He was a chum of mine."

CHAPTER IV

SPOFFORTH, MACGREGOR, AND THE LIONESS

Robert MacGregor pulled a pipe from his pocket and leisurely filled it
with Boer tobacco. His slow, deliberate way contrasted forcibly with
Wilmshurst's quick, incisive manner; his slow dialect would have
irritated the subaltern beyond measure but for the fact that he guessed
the Rhodesian to be of Scots descent.

Dudley noticed particularly that MacGregor had referred to his brother
in the past tense. It sounded ominous.

"Was a chum?" he repeated with an accent on the first word.

"In a sense, yes," replied MacGregor. "We went for a couple of trips
into German East. The last time was just before the war. You know why
we went?"

"It was in connection with a hidden store of ammunition, I believe,"
replied Wilmshurst.

The Rhodesian nodded slowly, puffing steadily at his pipe.

"Rupert found a mare's nest, I fancy," he continued. "At any rate,
before we made any really important discoveries I had to go back to
Jo'burg. Had no option, so to speak. Then, in connection with the
same business, I penetrated into German South-West Africa. I was in
Bersheba for nearly a fortnight before I heard that war had broken out,
and the first intimation I had was being put under arrest and sent up
country to Windhoek.

"When Botha overrun the colony I was released and offered a sound job
at Walfisch Bay--fairly important Government appointment in connection
with the distilling plant. That completed I thought I'd trek back to
Rhodesia and do a bit in German East. Thinking I would do the trip
round quicker by sea I took passage on the _Ibex_, a tramp of about two
thousand tons, and within twelve hours of leaving Walfisch B