"He shall swim in it,Sam,"he said;"he shall float down to hell upon it."Oom Sam explained to the King that,owing to the sentiments of affection and admiration with which the white men regarded him,the three barrels should be made into four,whereupon his Majesty bluntly pronounced the audience at an end and waddled off into his Imperial abode.
The two Englishmen walked slowly back to the hut.Between them there had sprung up from the first moment a strong and mutual antipathy.The blunt savagery of Trent,his apparently heartless treatment of his weaker partner,and his avowed unscrupulousness,offended the newcomer much in the same manner as in many ways he himself was obnoxious to Trent.His immaculate fatigue-uniform,his calm superciliousness,his obvious air of belonging to a superior class,were galling to Trent beyond measure.He himself felt the difference -he realised his ignorance,his unkempt and uncared-for appearance.Perhaps,as the two men walked side by side,some faint foreshadowing of the future showed to Trent another and a larger world where they two would once more walk side by side,the outward differences between them lessened,the smouldering irritation of the present leaping up into the red-hot flame of hatred.Perhaps it was just as well for John Francis that the man who walked so sullenly by his side had not the eyes of a seer,for it was a wild country and Trent himself had drunk deep of its lawlessness.A little accident with a knife,a carelessly handled revolver,and the man who was destined to stand more than once in his way would pass out of his life for ever.But in those days Trent knew nothing of what was to come -which was just as well for John Francis.
Monty was sitting up when they reached the hut,but at the sight of Trent's companion he cowered back and affected sleepiness.This time,however,Francis was not to be denied.He walked to Monty's side,and stood looking down upon him.
"I think,"he said gently,"that we have met before.""A mistake,"Monty declared."Never saw you in my life.Just off to sleep."But Francis had seen the trembling of the man's lips,and his nervously shaking hands.
"There is nothing to fear,"he said;"I wanted to speak to you as a friend.""Don't know you;don't want to speak to you,"Monty declared.
Francis stooped down and whispered a name in the ear of the sullen man.Trent leaned forward,but he could not hear it -only he too saw the shudder and caught the little cry which broke from the white lips of his partner.
Monty sat up,white,despairing,with strained,set face and bloodshot eyes.
"Look here,"he said,"I may be what you say,and I may not.It's no business of yours.Do you hear?Now be off and leave me alone!
Such as I am,I am.I won't be interfered with.But -"Monty's voice became a shriek.
"Leave me alone!"he cried."I have no name I tell you,no past,no future.Let me alone,or by Heaven I'll shoot you!"Francis shrugged his shoulders,and turned away with a sigh.
"A word with you outside,"he said to Trent -and Trent followed him out into the night.The moon was paling -in the east there was a faint shimmer of dawn.A breeze was rustling in the trees.
The two men stood face to face.
"Look here,sir,"Francis said,"I notice that this concession of yours is granted to you and your partner jointly whilst alive and to the survivor,in case of the death of either of you.""What then?"Trent asked fiercely.
"This!It's a beastly unfair arrangement,but I suppose it's too late to upset it.Your partner is half sodden with drink now.You know what that means in this climate.You've the wit to keep sober enough yourself.You're a strong man,and he is weak.You must take care of him.You can if you will.""Anything else?"Trent asked roughly.
The officer looked his man up and down.
"We're in a pretty rough country,"he said,"and a man gets into the habit of having his own way here.But listen to me!If anything happens to your partner here or in Buckomari,you'll have me to reckon with.I shall not forget.We are bound to meet!
Remember that!"
Trent turned his back upon him in a fit of passion which choked down all speech.Captain Francis lit a cigarette and walked across towards his camp.
