"Phew!" whistled Tarrant to himself, not entirely deceived by her consummate ingenuousness. "Lucky Ames! Well, there's no show for me in that quarter, that's manifest." "Isn't he that rather good-looking chap who was sitting at our table the day I had lunch with you at Cogill's?" said Moseley. "Yes. That's the man. We soon got to know him, and saw a great deal of him." "And thought a great deal of him?" "Well, yes. I can see that you're trying to tease me, Mr Moseley, but I don't care. I don't know when I've seen a man I liked better." "`Present company--' of course?" "No; not even present company. No; but really, I would like to let Mr Ames know I am here. But I don't like to ask Mr Hollingworth. It's a long way to send, and he may not be able to spare a boy." 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."