"I think every man should follow his own bent," said John. "The mischief is we mayn’t know till it’s too late what our bent is. For instance, I like this life out here, but I don’t know I’ll succeed at it, and some day I may eat my heart out because I didn’t take up law, as my father wished. He’s a good sort, and didn’t urge it. Well, khansaman, what is it?" he asked, as Said Mohammed entered. "Entreating your pardon, sir, Coja has made a discovery and is in an excessive state of amazement, jolly well flabbergasted, as it were. He declares that when you went on donkeys to visit the honourable gent you took three rifles marked with initials D.H., but lo! when he examines the weapons brought back, he finds four. Q.E.D." "That’s rum, certainly," said John. "How did one of our rifles get into the hands of your men, Ferrier? We took three, as Coja says. Your messenger had one." "I don’t know. Wait a bit, though: didn’t you bring three rifles into camp? Of course: you took one from the man you half throttled outside our boma. But how could that be marked with your initials?" "Tell Coja to bring it here, khansaman," said John. "I’ve a suspicion, Ferrier; we’ll soon prove it." When Coja brought the rifle, John examined it carefully. It was a Snider. "It’s as I thought, Ferrier," he said. "This is one of the rifles run off with by those porters of ours--the sweeps! I don’t like the look of it. Looks as though they’ve started an organized band of freebooters. We shall have to report this at Fort Hall or Nairobi; perhaps you’ll do that. I suppose you’ll be off to-morrow to get that arm of yours properly attended to." "That’s all right. It’s beginning to heal, rather slowly though, and if you can put up with me for a few days I’d like to stay here. Food and rest is what I want more than doctors. Besides, if your deserters have joined that pack of savages they may make a raid on you, and I’ll be of some use, even left-handed." "No, sah," said Coja, "bad man no come all dis way. Juma and dem debbils, oh yes! but not de Embe, oh no! dey never live for come long way." "Coja’s right, Ferrier," said John. "By all accounts no natives will go raiding more than twenty miles from their village, except the Masai, and we haven’t to deal with them. Juma and his Swahilis might come if they dared, but they won’t venture without support. That’ll do, Coja. How’s your shoulder, by the way?" "Jolly fine, sah. Bill him give me stuff to put on, berry good magic." "There you are, Ferrier," cried John, laughing. "We’ve got a doctor on the spot. Bill is a Wanderobbo we’ve made friends with, a little old man who lives by himself and tells fairy-tales about a wonderful store of ivory belonging to him in an enemy’s country. He’s by way of being a herbalist, too, it appears. We’ll have a look at his ’berry good magic’ by and by."