"If he is telling them the weak points it's downright treason," said West bitterly, after a glance out of the wagon in the direction of the rocks on which lay his jacket.

"It's stand him up with a firing party, and a sergeant with a revolver to finish the work if it isn't quite done," said Ingleborough. "The cowardly scoundrel: he'll be getting his deserts at last! I say, though, isn't it sickening? A blackguard like that, who doesn't stop at anything to gain his ends!"

For Anson had finished speaking and the Boers had closed round him, patting him on the back and pressing forward one after the other to shake his hand, while he smiled at them in his mildest, blandest way.

After a few more friendly words the ex-clerk began slouching slowly up, followed by half-a-dozen of the princ.i.p.al men, till he was close to the tail of the prison wagon where West and Ingleborough were seated trying to look perfectly indifferent, but the former with his heart beating heavily and a flush coming hotly into his cheeks, when the Boers stopped short, leaving Anson to speak, listening the while as if they antic.i.p.ated a little amus.e.m.e.nt from their new friend the informer hailing the prisoners in the wain.

"Hullo!" cried Anson, with one of his most irritating smiles--one full of the triumph over them he enjoyed and the contempt he felt, "hullo!

Who'd have thought that the virtuous West and the enthusiastic sham detective Ingleborough would have come out here to join the Boers? But don't tell me. I know: I can see how it is. You've both been bled, and that's let some of the bounce out of you."

He stopped for a moment for those he insulted to reply, but as they both sat looking at him in cool contempt he went on jeeringly: "The Boers know what they're about, I see. When a horse has the megrims they bleed him in the ear, and judging that the same plan would do for a donkey they've bled c.o.c.ky West there, and bull-headed Ingleborough on the skull."

West's face grew of a deeper red, and he drew in a long deep breath, for those of the Boers who understood English burst into a hearty laugh at this sally of the renegade's.

"Well, I'm glad of it!" continued Anson, taking the Boers' laughter as so much approval. "It was all you wanted, Bully West, and I daresay, now that you've come to your senses, you'll make a decent Boer. There, I'll give you a recommendation for a clerkship, for you do really write a decent hand."

"Say thanks," growled Ingleborough, with a sneer which told of his contempt; "he will no doubt have plenty of interest. He has come up to lead the Boer army's band and give lessons on the flute."

Anson started as if he had been stung.

"Quiet, man, quiet!" whispered West to Ingleborough; but it was in vain.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE RINGING OF THE SHILLING.

People make their plans in cold blood and forget all about them when the blood grows hot.

It was so here. West had made up his mind what to do while cool, but acted just in the fashion he had cried out against to his companion.

For as soon as Anson lounged up to them in his supercilious jaunty way, West's cool blood warmed, grew hot at the scoundrel's contemptuous look of triumph, and at the insult respecting the Boers boiled over.

"How dare you!" he raged out. "Keep your distance, you contemptible cur, or, prisoner though I am, I'll give you such a thrashing as shall make you yell for mercy!"

"Hullo! What does this mean?" said one of the Boer officers, closing up, followed by the others.

"The prisoner is a bit saucy!" said Anson contemptuously. "You did not bleed him enough!"

"You know these two?" asked the officer.

"Well, in a way," said Anson, in a haughty, indifferent tone. "They were a pair of underlings where I was engaged at the diamond-mines.

Insolent bullying fellows, both of them! But you'll tame them down."

The Boer leader nodded.

"A bit sore at being taken prisoners!" he said.

"No," cried West; "it is the fortune of war, sir. We are Englishmen, and we made a dash to escape Kimberley, and got through your investing lines."

"To carry despatches to the rooineks?"

"No," replied West. "Your men searched us and found no despatches."

"Messages then. You were going to the British forces?"

"We should have joined them after a time, perhaps," said West, speaking more coolly.

"He's lying!" said Anson sharply. "Have them searched again!"

The Boer commandant nodded, gave the order, and half-a-dozen of his men came forward, after which the prisoners were ordered out of the wagon, and they let themselves down, when they were thoroughly searched from head to heel--of course, without result, and the Boer chief turned frowningly to Anson.

"They must have hid the letter somewhere about the wagon then!"

"Two of you get in and search!" said the commandant.

This was carefully carried out, and the men descended.

"Then they must have destroyed their message before you took them,"

cried Anson, "or somehow since."

"They were carefully searched as soon as they were taken," observed one of the field-cornets.

"Yes," said the commandant, "and I saw it done. Well, they will not carry any news to Mafeking. Tell them that the British are being swept into the sea east and south, and their rule is at an end. I want brave men who can ride and fight, so if they like to join the Federal forces and do their duty there will be a prosperous time for them. If they refuse there will be a long imprisonment, perhaps something worse."

"Mr Anson, the renegade, need not trouble himself, sir," said West quietly. "Neither my companion nor I will do as he has done."

"You had better!" said Anson sneeringly. "It's a grand chance for you now your characters are gone and the I.D. detectives are after you."

Ingleborough looked at the speaker sharply; but Anson made believe not to notice it and went on.

"You've no character now, either of you," he continued coolly. "Old Norton came after me as I was trekking south, utterly sick of the English lot. He came on the old pretext: that I had bought diamonds and was carrying them off. He searched again, and then I told him the simple truth--that you two had volunteered to carry despatches so as to get clear off with the swag you had acquired--after accusing me; but he professed not to believe me, and took me back to Kimberley, but the very next day he started off with half-a-dozen men to fetch you back, and I came away."

"With the diamonds you had hidden?" said Ingleborough sharply.

"Perhaps," replied Anson coolly. "So, you see, you had better join our party, for even if you escaped it would only be for the police superintendent to get hold of you both, and if he did, you wouldn't find him such an excellent friend."

"Wants thinking about!" said Ingleborough drily. "But 'our'

party--'our'?"

"Yes," said Anson coolly. "I've made up my mind to belong to the right owners of the country for a long time past. We've got the gold at Johannesburg, and the diamonds at Kimberley are ours by right, and we're going to have them."

There was a murmur of satisfaction from the Boers at this, and Anson went on nonchalantly: "That is one reason why I consented to serve the company in such a beggarly position. I wanted to learn all I could about the mining so that it might come in useful when we of the Boer party took possession."

"And then, I suppose," said Ingleborough, "you'll expect to be manager-in-chief?"

"Well, I don't go so far as that," said Anson; "but, with my knowledge of the management of the mining business, I feel sure my Boer friends will find it to their advantage to retain me high up on the staff. You see, there are so many things in the way of checking losses which I have mastered."