thrown over his face; but a slight movement could be noted in his jaw as he
slowly chewed a piece of tobacco; and occasionally when he turned it round
the mouth opened, and disclosed two rows of broken yellow stumps set in
very red gums.

The three Colonial Englishmen took no notice of him. Two, who were slowly
smoking, were of the large and powerful build, and somewhat loose set about
the shoulders, which is common among Colonial Europeans of the third
generation, whether Dutch or English, and had the placidity and general
good temper of expression which commonly marks the Colonial European who
grows up beyond the range of the cities. The third was smaller and more
wiry and of an unusually nervous type, with aquiline nose, and sallow
hatchet face, with a somewhat discontented expression. He was holding
forth, while his companions smoked and listened.

"Now what I say is this," he brought his hand down on the red sand; "here
we are with about one half teaspoon of Dop given us at night, while he has
ten empty champagne bottles lying behind his tent. And we have to live on
the mealies we're convoying for the horses, while he has pati and beef, and
lives like a lord! It's all very well for the regulars; they know what
they're in for, and they've got gentlemen over them anyhow, and one can
stomach anything if you know what kind of a fellow you've got over you.
English officers are gentlemen, anyhow; or if one was under Selous now--"

"Oh, Selous's a MAN!" broke out the other two, taking their pipes from
their mouths.

"Yes, well, that's what I say. But these fellows, who couldn't do as
farmers, and couldn't do as shopkeepers, and God knows what else; and their
friends in England didn't want to have them; they're sent out here to boss