quarters of a Province. They were all young, Hillyard
himself was older than any of them.

"Oh, we have got some married ones, too," said Rayne, "but they live in
houses of their own like gentlefolk."

"There are some Englishwomen here then?" said Hillyard, and for an
appreciable moment there was silence. Then a shortish, square man, with
a heavy moustache explained, if explanation it could be called.

"No. They were sent off to Senaar this morning--to be out of the way.
Wiser."

Hillyard asked no questions but drank his whisky-and-soda.

"I haven't seen Luttrell since we were at Oxford together," he said.

"And it's by an accident that you see him now," said Rayne. "The
Governor of Senga was thrown from his horse and killed on the spot down
by the bridge there six weeks ago. The road gave way suddenly under his
horse's hoofs. Some one was wanted here immediately."

"Yes, there's no doubt of that," said Mr. Blacker, the short square man,
with emphasis.

"Captain Luttrell had done very well in Kordofan," Rayne resumed. "He
was fetched up here in a hurry as Acting-Governor. But no doubt the
appointment will be confirmed."

Mr. Blacker added another croak.

"Oh, it'll be confirmed all right, if----" and he left his sentence in
the air; but his gesture finished it.

"If there is any Luttrell left to confirm," Martin Hillyard interpreted,
though he kept his interpretation to himself.

There certainly was in that room with the big balcony a grim expectation
of trouble. It was apparent, not so much in words as in an attention to
distant noises, and a kind of strained silence. The sound of a second
caravan was heard. It was coming from the north. Rayne ran to the rail
of the balcony and looked anxiously out. The street here was very broad
and the huts upon the opposite side already dark except at one point,
where an unshaded kerosene lamp cast through on open door a panel of
glaring light upon the darkness. Rayne saw the caravan emerge spectrally
into the light and disappear again.

"They are our beasts," he said in a voice of relief, and a minute later
he called down to the soldier in charge. He spoke in the Dinka language
and the soldier replied in the same tongue. Hillyard understood enough
of it now to learn that the women had arrived safely at Senaar without
any incident or annoyance.

"That's good," said Colin Rayne. He turned to Hillyard. "Luttrell's a
long time. Shall we go and find him?"

Both Blacke