uld it bear carrying out?

"Look here," I said. "If you would really like to ride up there, it
occurs to me I might show you something that would interest you--nothing
to do with the store particularly. But I could collect a lot of
Tyingoza's people and scare up a regular native dance. They do it well,
and it's worth seeing, I can tell you."

"Why that would be charming," cried the youngest girl. "Aida, we must
go. Do you hear? Father, what do you think? Let's all go, and make a
day of it."

"I was going to venture yet further, Major," I said. "I was going to
suggest that you make a night of it. There's my hut--it's very cool and
comfortable--and I have a capital tent waggon. If the ladies could make
shift with such by way of sleeping quarters, why we could turn in under
a blanket in the store. It isn't a luxurious bedroom, but I daresay,
for one night, a couple of soldiers like yourselves could manage."

"Rather," cried Falkner enthusiastically. "That's a ripping idea of
yours, Glanton. What d'you think, uncle? Shall we fix up a day? No
time like the present."

"Well, I think the idea isn't a bad one, if we are not putting you out,
Glanton. But--what about the farm? We can't leave it entirely to
itself."

This certainly was a difficulty. I thought for a moment; then I said:

"I might be able to straighten that for you, Major. I will send you
down a man--a native, one of Tyingoza's people, but as trustworthy as
steel. You know, most of them are that way if put in a position of
trust. Well you needn't be afraid of anything going wrong--stocklifting
and that--while he's in charge. How's that?"

"Capital!" went up from the girls.

"You seem to `straighten' everything for us, Mr Glanton," said the
eldest, gratefully.

"Well this is a very small thing after all," I protested. "I'm only
afraid you will find the quarters a bit rough."

But this they declared was nothing. It only remained to fix the day.
They would enjoy it above all things, they repeated.

"You'll have the same room as last time, Mr Glanton," said Mrs Sewin,
as she bade me good-night.

"Why, I was just thinking of going home," I protested.

But this was over-ruled, and that unanimously. The Major wanted to have
a talk with me, and couldn't do it comfortably if I was in a hurry to be
off all the time. Besides--what did it matter? Nobody would be wanting
to do a deal during the night, so I might just as well remain whe