e told a cram about it."

"What should I tell an untruth for?" cried Ned hotly.

"Because you wanted to cheat me into using the glass because you thought
I was hurt and disappointed."

"I tell you one of my eyes smarts horribly."

"Of course it does--stuffing your knuckles into it and rubbing like
that. There, focus the glass and look out."

"I can't see clearly with my right eye, Chris, honour bright. Catch
hold."

"If a fellow tells you a fib once, you don't believe him next time."

"What do you want me to say to make you believe me? It does hurt,
really."

"Say there was no fly in the case, to begin with."

"Will you use the glass if I do?"

"If you can make me believe that you can't see well."

"Look, then," cried Ned, and he dropped his hand, to open his right eye,
which was quite bloodshot, "Now, is it likely that I can see steadily
with that aching and watering so that I'm half blind?"

"No," said Chris quietly, and he took the glass and began to focus it on
a distant object. "Now, own up; you did rub that hard on purpose?"

Ned was silent.

"I'm going to give you the glass back," cried Chris.

"No, you're not; and you're going to have a good look out. But I say,
mind; don't let the sun shine on the glass, or the Indians may see the
flash. Pull out the sunshades."

"I have," said Chris, taking a long look out in the direction of the
enemy.

"See 'em?"

"No. All's clear there."

"Take a good long sweep round and keep watching till you find out where
the Indians are. I'm going down to the bottom of the fall to bathe my
eye. It is bad."

"Make haste, then."

"All right. Call or whistle when you see them. I shall hear you."

Chris nodded and grunted, and then went on examining every part of the
plain below, but without result, and he thought and muttered to himself
the while.

"He needn't have told a fib over it. Now, I wonder where those red
niggers are.--He might have known that I should see through him at
once.--A nigger can't be red. That's stupid.--It was rather nice of old
Ned, though. I'm afraid I shouldn't have done as much for him.--They
must have gone in amongst the grass and trees somewhere about there. I
wish I could see them. But I don't think they're after us--only
hunting."

He lay stretched out on his chest, slowly moving the glass so that he
could sweep the edge of the plain; but the time went on, and the mounted
party might, after all, have been a clo