other told him, thawing a bit. Then, when they sat down to table,
Wyvern opened the story of the slaughtering incident, and the tragic end
of one of the actors therein. But of the attack of both upon himself he
said nothing.

"A most infernal nuisance," grumbled Le Sage. "I don't know why I was
fool enough to allow myself to be nominated Field-cornet. Well, if one
of the _schepsels_ has cheated the `cat' the other's all there for it,
that's one consolation."

"Oh, I don't know. I'm going to let the poor devil off."

"Going to--what?" snapped Le Sage. "Oh, look here, Wyvern, really
you're getting past a joke. A fellow like you is a nuisance to the
whole community. Why it's putting a premium on `slaag-tag.' You catch
this swine red-handed--a clear case for the `cat'--and then say you're
going to let him off. It isn't fair to the rest of us. Don't you see
that?"

As a matter of fact Wyvern did see it; and felt a little uncomfortable.

"Perhaps you're right, Le Sage," he said. "But I'm too soft-hearted I
suppose, and the sight of that other wretched devil, with that beastly
snake tied round his leg, squirting blue death into him with every bite,
is a sight I shan't get rid of all in a hurry. And one human life, even
that of a Kafir, is about expiation enough for a miserable sheep, worth
eighteen bob or a pound at the outside. Eh?"

"I never heard such rot in my life," was the answer. "All the more
reason why the other chap's hide should be made to smart for the whole
mischief. Eh? Aren't I right, Lalante?"

A spirit of cussedness made him thus appeal to his daughter, a sort of
longing to make her espouse his side against this other. But, even as
he did so, he realised that he might as well have spared himself the
trouble.

"No. I don't think you are, since you put it to me," she answered
unhesitatingly. "On the contrary, I think you'd do much better to go
and hold your enquiry and leave the other part of the business alone
altogether."

"The devil you do!"

"That's it. You've put it exactly, father," laughed Lalante; "You'll be
riding over there after dinner, I suppose. Well, I'll go with you."

He expostulated. It was no place for a girl. The sight of a dead Kafir
was no sight for her, he pointed out with some show of reason.

"But I've no intention of seeing any such sight," she objected serenely.
"I'll wait for you a little way off while you make your investigations.
That'll be all