."

Thought Tarrant, "She's a puzzler! She's playing on the innocent stop
for all the instrument will carry, or--she's genuine. Can't make her
out."

But Moseley lifted up his voice and hailed--

"Hollingworth!"

"What is it?" sung out that worthy. "Sun over the yard-arm yet? All
right. You know where to find it. No soda, though; you'll have to do
with selzogene. If you want `squareface' you must get the missis to dig
it out of the store. There's none out. Maitland and Harvey between
them got outside what there was yesterday."

"No, no; that's not what we want, though it'll come in directly,"
laughed Moseley. "Look here, Hollingworth"--the latter had drawn near
by this time--"Miss Commerell has found an old friend up here--Ames at
Sikumbutana--and she doesn't like to ask you to send a boy over to let
him know she's here."

"But, Mr Moseley, I didn't tell you to ask Mr Hollingworth," laughed
Nidia.

"Pooh! Why didn't you like to ask me, Miss Commerell? Of course I can
send over. Though--if it will be all the same to you, I'd rather send
to-morrow," Hollingworth added dubiously.

"Certainly it will. Thanks awfully. Are you sure it won't
inconvenience you?" said Nidia, in her most winning way.

"Not to-morrow. To-day, you see, I have two boys away. But I'll start
one off the first thing in the morning."

She reiterated her thanks; and Tarrant, keenly observant, said to
himself: "No; clearly I've no show. Damn Ames!"

CHAPTER TWELVE.

THE SPREADING OF THE FLAME.

"Well, good-bye, Moseley. Pity you're in such a hurry; you might just
as well have stayed the night. However, since you're determined, you'd
better not ride too slow. It'll take you three mortal hours to fetch
Jekyll's place."

Thus Hollingworth, soon after the midday dinner. The horses stood ready
saddled, the pack-donkeys having been sent on in the forenoon.

"I'll see you in Bulawayo week after next, I suppose. I've got to go in
about that disputed `pegging' case. Beastly nuisance! Besides, I've
got to take Miss Commerell back."

Tarrant pricked up his ears at this. He had not done much to improve
the shining hour with Nidia during that long, cool, lazy morning. He
had confined himself to observing her, now and then putting in a word or
two, but not often. But he had plans.

And now the farewells became general, all talking at once, as people
will on such occasions; for the whole household had turned out to