ms against the Colony. Besides, as a
matter of fact, it was doubtful whether he had any information to give.

So his entertainers were disappointed. Everyone who accosted him upon
the objectionable topic was disappointed. He became unpopular.

The infinitesimal intellect of the community felt slighted. The far
from infinitesimal sense of self-importance of the said community was
wounded to the core. Here was a man who had passed through strange and
startling experiences which everyone else was dying to share--at second
hand. Yet he kept them to himself. Who was he, indeed, they would like
to know? Other men, had they gone through the same experiences, would
have had them on tap all day long, for the benefit of all comers, good
measure and brimming over. This one, on the contrary, was as close as
death itself. Who was he that he should affect a singularity?

When a man is unpopular in a small community, he is pretty sure before
long to be made aware of that fact. In this instance there were not
wanting individuals the ingenuity of whose inventive powers was equal to
the occasion. No wonder Milne was reticent as to what he had gone
through--hinted these--for it was almost certainly not to his credit.
It was a singular thing that he should have emerged from the ordeal
unhurt and smiling, while poor Tom Carhayes had been mercilessly
butchered. It looked, fishy--uncommonly so. The more you looked at it,
the more it began to take on the aspect of a put-up job. Indeed it
would not be surprising if it turned out that the expedition across the
Bashi was a cunningly devised trap, not originating with the Kafirs
either. The escape of Hoste and Payne was part of the programme--no
motive existing why these two should be put out of the way.

Motive? Motive for desiring Tom Carhayes' death? Well, any fool could
see that, one might have thought. Was there not a young and beautiful
widow in the case--who would succeed lo the dead man's extremely
comfortable possessions, and whom, by this time, any one could see with
half an eye, was desperately in love with the plotting and unscrupulous
cousin? That was motive enough, one would think.

It was easy, moreover, now to see through the predilection of that
arch-schemer for their native neighbours and now enemies. It was all
part of the plot. Doubtless he was even no sending them secret
information and advice in return for what they had done for him. It
would be sur