"
"Oh, certainly not.
"Oh, certainly not.
Kipling - Poems
"
"Madame has you well in hand. Would you stick a knife into me if you had
the chance? "
"I have no chance," said the Greek. "She is there with that woman. "
"I see. It's a bad thing to be divided between love of woman and the
chance of loot. I sympathise with you, George. "
They went to the telegraph-office unquestioned, for all the world was
desperately busy and had scarcely time to turn its head, and Suakin was
the last place under sky that would be chosen for holiday-ground. On
their return the voice of an English subaltern asked Dick what he was
doing. The blue goggles were over his eyes and he walked with his hand
on George's elbow as he replied--"Egyptian Government--mules. My orders
are to give them over to the A. C. G. at Tanai-el-Hassan. Any occasion
to show my papers?
"
"Oh, certainly not. I beg your pardon. I'd no right to ask, but not
seeing your face before I----"
"I go out in the train tonight, I suppose," said Dick, boldly. "There
will be no difficulty in loading up the mules, will there? "
"You can see the horse-platforms from here. You must have them loaded up
early. " The young man went away wondering what sort of broken-down
waif this might be who talked like a gentleman and consorted with Greek
muleteers. Dick felt unhappy. To outface an English officer is no small
thing, but the bluff loses relish when one plays it from the utter dark,
and stumbles up and down rough ways, thinking and eternally thinking
of what might have been if things had fallen out otherwise, and all had
been as it was not.
George shared his meal with Dick and went off to the mule-lines. His
charge sat alone in a shed with his face in his hands. Before his
tight-shut eyes danced the face of Maisie, laughing, with parted lips.
There was a great bustle and clamour about him. He grew afraid and
almost called for George.
"I say, have you got your mules ready? " It was the voice of the
subaltern over his shoulder.
"Madame has you well in hand. Would you stick a knife into me if you had
the chance? "
"I have no chance," said the Greek. "She is there with that woman. "
"I see. It's a bad thing to be divided between love of woman and the
chance of loot. I sympathise with you, George. "
They went to the telegraph-office unquestioned, for all the world was
desperately busy and had scarcely time to turn its head, and Suakin was
the last place under sky that would be chosen for holiday-ground. On
their return the voice of an English subaltern asked Dick what he was
doing. The blue goggles were over his eyes and he walked with his hand
on George's elbow as he replied--"Egyptian Government--mules. My orders
are to give them over to the A. C. G. at Tanai-el-Hassan. Any occasion
to show my papers?
"
"Oh, certainly not. I beg your pardon. I'd no right to ask, but not
seeing your face before I----"
"I go out in the train tonight, I suppose," said Dick, boldly. "There
will be no difficulty in loading up the mules, will there? "
"You can see the horse-platforms from here. You must have them loaded up
early. " The young man went away wondering what sort of broken-down
waif this might be who talked like a gentleman and consorted with Greek
muleteers. Dick felt unhappy. To outface an English officer is no small
thing, but the bluff loses relish when one plays it from the utter dark,
and stumbles up and down rough ways, thinking and eternally thinking
of what might have been if things had fallen out otherwise, and all had
been as it was not.
George shared his meal with Dick and went off to the mule-lines. His
charge sat alone in a shed with his face in his hands. Before his
tight-shut eyes danced the face of Maisie, laughing, with parted lips.
There was a great bustle and clamour about him. He grew afraid and
almost called for George.
"I say, have you got your mules ready? " It was the voice of the
subaltern over his shoulder.
