Fix Bay'nets Part 45

"Exactly," said the Doctor good-humouredly; "but really it's wonderful how Nature does nearly all the work. Well, any news, Colonel?"

"About the enemy?"

"Yes; you've been doing nothing lately, and my last bed was vacated to-day."

"I am very sorry that you should be in so low a condition, Doctor," said the Colonel coldly; "but you must understand that I shall do my best to keep you so."

"Why, of course," cried the Doctor. "You don't suppose I want to have the poor fellows cut or shot down to keep me busy--do you?"

"You spoke as if you did?"

"Then I spoke clumsily," cried the Doctor. "But tell me--the Dwats are collecting again--are they not?"

"Yes; they mean to give us no rest."

"So much the better for the men. Keep 'em active. You boys had any sport to-day?"

"Yes; we got six mountain sheep," said Roberts.

"Safe into camp?" said the Doctor eagerly.

"Oh yes. It was hard work, though; for three of them fell right down into one of the deepest gorges from the snow-slope on which we shot them--splendid shots Drummond made after our stalk, he killed with right and left barrels. My one dropped at the first shot, but sprang up and was going off again till my second barrel stopped him."

"Had an awful job to get them out of the gorge and home; but the hunters fetched them out, and we got all safe into quarters."

"Ha!" cried the Doctor; "I'm glad of that. Splendid gamy meat, that mountain mutton. Glorious stuff for convalescents. It gives me the heartache when I hear of you leaving lost ones to the wolves and vultures."

"I quite agree with the Doctor about the quality of the mutton," said the Colonel gravely; "but I'm getting anxious about these shooting-trips, gentlemen. Your guides belong to one or other of the tribes."

"Yes, I suppose they do, sir," said Roberts carelessly.

"Well, what is to prevent them from leading you some day into a trap, and, instead of the news coming into mess of there being an extra supply for the larder, I hear that I am minus two or three of my best officers?"

"I don't know about best officers, sir," said Roberts, laughing; "but I don't think there is anything to fear. These hill-s.h.i.+karees are very genuine fellows, and their intense love of the sport will keep them honest and true to us. You cannot think how proud they are of leading us to the quarry if we are successful."

"I grant all that," said the Colonel, "knowing as I do what a freemasonry there is in sport, and how clever hunters have a feeling of fellows.h.i.+p for men of their own tastes, whatever their religion; but you must not forget that the hill-tribes are completely under the thumb of their Mullahs, and that the will of these priests is the law which they must obey. Supposing one of these Mullahs to give them orders in the interest of their tribe, they would lead you into an ambush for a certainty."

"Oh, Colonel Graves," cried Drummond, "this is spoiling the only pleasure we have!"

"I hope not," said the Colonel, smiling gravely. "Set it down to interest in my officers' welfare. I only ask you to be careful--well on your guard--and not to do anything rash."

"Just as if it was likely that we should do anything rash," said Drummond pettishly later on. "I'm sure I'm always as careful as can be."

"Always!" said Roberts, laughing, and giving Bracy a peculiar look.

"Here, I say--what does that mean? You two are chaffing me again."

"Oh dear, no," said Bracy. "Our consciences are smiting us for being so reckless, and we're making up our minds to be more careful in future."

"Yes, as the Colonel suggests," chimed in Roberts, "and take friend Drummond o' that ilk for our example."

"Here! Yes, you are chaffing me," cried Drummond anxiously. "I say, old chaps, though--you don't think I am rash, do you?"

"Rather," said Roberts.

"Bosh with your rather! Chaff, because I'm so tall and thin. Bracy, you're not half such a boy as the Captain. You don't think I'm wild and harum-scarum, do you--regularly rash?"

"Well, to speak frankly,"--began Bracy.

"Of course I want you to be frank," cried Drummond hastily. "That's why I like you chaps."

"Well, then, my dear boy," said Bracy, "I do think you are about the most rash fellow I ever met."

"Oh!" cried Drummond, with a look of distrust.

"You do things that no thoughtful fellow would ever think of doing."

"I? Come now; when?"

"Over those sheep, then, to-day. I felt quite sick to see you walk along that shelf of snow, when the slightest slip would have sent you down headlong a thousand feet on to the jagged rocks below."

"Yes, it was horrible," said Roberts.

Drummond exploded into a tremendous burst of laughter, and sat at last wiping his eyes.

"Oh, I say, come. That is good. I like that. Dangerous--made one of you feel sick and the other think it was horrible!"

"Well, it's the truth," said Bracy.

"And you both came along it afterwards, and we got that magnificent sport."

"I came along it after you had set the example," said Bracy quietly.

"But you are a couple of years older than I am, and ought to know better."

"I was not going to show the white feather after what you had done."

"Same here," said Roberts sharply.

"Oh, that was it--eh? I was a boy to you, and you wouldn't let me think you daren't."

"Something of that kind," said Bracy.

"Humph!" said Drummond thoughtfully. "I suppose it was dangerous."

"Of course it was," replied Bracy. "You saw that the guide wouldn't venture."

"Yes; but that made me determined to do it. We can't afford to let those chaps think we're afraid to go anywhere. Come now--didn't you two think something of that kind too?"