"My dear captain, a recruiting patrol recruits. These unfortunate Germans were returning with their bag--how large I don’t know: your cub released them all. When the patrol was some days overdue, a party was sent out in search. They found the villages towards Lake Rukwa absolutely empty of able-bodied men, which seems to show that this British lion-cub has set up a pretty efficient system of scouting, or the niggers could hardly have had warning. But by adopting the usual methods they wrung the story out of one of the old men, burnt down a few houses, and returned with the news." "And you hunted the wretch?" "We had something better to do. The English, reinforced by Belgians, have kept things rather lively on the frontier, and we have had no men to spare for cub-hunting." "But--but--it is preposterous; it is an insult to the German flag; to allow a nest of mutineers to exist--yes, and to make raids--within a couple of marches of a German town. The young fool is alone----" "With all your plantation hands, I understand." "Raw niggers----" "But armed with Mausers we can ill spare." "They don’t know butt from muzzle." "Possibly your cub is not such a cub after all. The English schoolboy nowadays has a cadet’s training, I believe. Perhaps this youngster might drive a little military gumption even into the nigger’s wooden head." "Really, Major," cried Reinecke impatiently, "you speak as though--as though you think the English good for something, whereas we all know they can’t possibly be. They’ve no efficiency; they’re slack; they----" "Yes, we’ve been told so," the major interposed drily. "It’s just possible that we’re mistaken--believe what we want to believe. And I’ve seen this boy, remember." Reinecke got up and stalked about the room. "It is absurd; it is scandalous," he cried. "A young whippersnapper kidnaps our men, defies us, lowers the prestige of the German name, makes us a laughing-stock----" "Stay, stay, Captain. You are a little intemperate. A friendly word of warning: don’t talk like that outside this room. It’s unwise, unsafe, if you value your commission. I go so far as to say you are unreasonable. You allow personal feeling to warp your judgment. Your dislike of this young Englishman, however natural in the circumstances--" Reinecke flashed a keen look at the speaker--"must not blind you to the facts of the situation. As I have explained, we have been hard pressed on the frontier. The Englishman, it appears, has an extraordinarily strong position----" "Where is he?" "They talk of a nullah----" "I know it. It was in my company he learnt of it." "That must be very annoying." "Not at all, it is good news. Strong? Why, it is a cul-de-sac. At the north it is blocked by a lake. The cub has trapped himself."