"Now, don't you turn disagreeable. I know what you are thinking." "What?" cried Dean, in surprise. "You are thinking that I might ask father to go to the expense of taking that poor fellow up the country. Why, he'd think I was mad." "I'd take him if I had got the money," said Dean. "So would I if I had got the money," retorted Mark, "but I haven't. Oh, there are our two chaps again," cried the boy eagerly, as if glad to get away from the unpleasant subject. "They can see us, and are coming." The two gamekeepers came strolling up, and Dance saluted them with, "Nice day, gentlemen! Pity we arn't got some of it at home. Shouldn't want no coke for the old vinery." "No," said Mark shortly. "Well, what do you think of an African port?" "Don't think nothing on it, sir. Do you, mate?" "Think it's a fine place to get away from," replied his companion grinning uncomfortably. "Say, Mr Mark, don't you wish you was at home?" "Oh, don't talk nonsense!" cried Mark angrily. "What's the use of saying things like that? We wanted to come, and we have come." "But we are not going to stop here long, are we, Mr Mark, sir?" "No, not long. Certainly not a week." "That's a comfort, sir, because Peter Dance and me have been thinking that we should like to go and ask the gov'nor if he would send us back." "Then you ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" snapped out Dean, upon whom the scorching sun seemed to have the effect of taking the skin off his temper. "Well, I don't know about Bob here, sir, but I do feel that I was a fool for wanting to come," said the keeper. "Then you would both go," cried Mark angrily, "and leave us in the lurch just because you don't like this place?" "Well, I put it to you, Mr Mark, sir," said Bob, "speaking as gamekeepers, we thought we was coming out here to a beautiful country where it was going to be shooting all day long. And just look about you! Don't it look as if it was the last place that was ever made?" "I don't know," said Mark shortly, "but I didn't expect that you two would have played the sneak as soon as there was a little trouble." "Who's a-going to, Mr Mark, sir?" said Bob gruffly. "You asked us how we liked Africa, and we only as good as said we didn't like it a tiny bit. We arn't a-going to play the sneak; are we, Peter?" "Not us," grunted Dance. "I shouldn't like to go and tell Sir James that; should you, Bob?" "No-o!" "Come along, Dean," said Mark, turning from the men; and the boys walked away. "Let's get indoors. I don't know what's come to me; I feel as if I could quarrel with everybody. Let's go in and see if father's awake yet." "Why, you can't quarrel with him," said Dean, staring in wonder at his cousin. "Well, who said I could, stupid? Do you want to make me quarrel with you?"