CHAPTER THE SEVENTEENTH--John's Letter
In the comfortable dining-room of Mr. Gillespie's bungalow a merry partywas assembled. At the right hand of Mr. Gillespie sat a handsome,well-preserved lady, who was fifty and looked forty-five. At the otherend of the table, beside the hostess, was our friend Mr. Halliday, freshand florid, evidently in the best of health. His neighbour on the rightwas a slim young girl in black; hers was a tall, well-set-up young manof twenty-five. Opposite these two, in due sequence, were a girl whomight have been seventeen, and a youth a year or two older, so much likeher that no one could have doubted they were brother and sister.
Laughter rang round the table; everybody seemed at the top ofcheerfulness, except the girl in black. Even she smiled at a remarkaddressed to her by Mr. Halliday. There was a pause in the conversationas they devoted themselves to the sweets, which included a wonderfulconfection of native pine-apples. Then the lady next to Mr. Gillespie,in slow level tones, and with the clear enunciation and scarcelyperceptible burr of an educated Scotswoman, said--
"He's a dear boy, I'm sure. We could read so well between the lines ofhis letters that he thought me a very designing woman----"
"A Delilah, Cousin Sylvia," said Mr. Halliday.
"You'd be the better for having your hair cut, Cousin David. Ishouldn't allude to such a personal matter if I didn't hope that Mrs.Gillespie would back me up. _I've_ done my best to improve you, andfailed; perhaps public opinion will do some good."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Burtenshaw," said Mr. Gillespie. "He'll get athorough crop before he goes up country, where barbers are unknown."
"But it won't matter then, where there's no one to see him.... It wasplain John thought his father would marry me----"
"The other way about, cousin," Mr. Halliday interposed. "He wouldn'tsuspect me of all men of fortune hunting."
"Listen to him!" exclaimed Mrs. Burtenshaw, drawing herself up with anaffectation of injured dignity. "If any man wanted to marry me it couldonly be for my money, you see. As I was saying, John quite expects tobe presented with a step-mother, and resents it, like all young things.Joe there wouldn't speak to me for a week when I married poorBurtenshaw. It's a nice kind of jealousy, don't you think so, Mrs.Gillespie?"
"Just like a dog's," said Mrs. Gillespie, in a tone that made every onelaugh. "When we first came out we had a collie that couldn't see myhusband put his arm round me without whining to be petted."
"John will be flabbergasted when he sees us," said the older of the twoyoung men, referred to by his mother as Joe.
"Yes, wasn't it funny that he should come across them in the wilds ofAfrica, and rescue Poll from a game-pit without either of them knowingthey were cousins?" said Helen, his sister. "It's quite a romance."
"Doesn't he know the relationship now?" asked Mrs. Gillespie.
"No," said Mr. Halliday, with a chuckle. "I asked him in one of myletters whether he had seen anything of the Brownes. You see, theytalked of settling here, before they came into this fortune."
"That's all over now, of course," said Mr. Gillespie.
"I'm not so sure," said Joe Browne. "The people at home were very nice,and all that, but they're too stiff and starched after what we've beenused to; wear high collars and kid gloves. I don't fancy Poll and Icould settle down to that sort of thing."
"And I don't want you to," said Mrs. Burtenshaw. "I don't believe inhealthy young men loafing about, and I tell my boys they'll have to workfor their living just as if I were a poor woman."
"Capital!" said Mr. Gillespie. "And when they see what John has beendoing I warrant they'll settle down as neighbours. There'll be quite alittle colony of Scotsmen about Alloway soon, for I've no doubt you'veScotch blood in you, Miss Ferrier?"
"Diluted, Mr. Gillespie," said the girl in black. "My grandfather was aScotsman, but he married a Frenchwoman--Canadian French, of course. Doyou really think my brother will settle here?"
"Well, I can't exactly say," was Mr. Gillespie's cautious reply. "Itseems very probable from what John says in his letters. Don't you likethe prospect?"
"Oh, I shall live with Charley, of course; and if it's really as nice ashe says--there isn't any real danger, is there?"
"A lion among the ladies!" cried Mr. Halliday, and they all laughed,Said Mohammed's quotation being common property among them. "I thinkyou'll find it all right, my dear," he added in his fatherly way. "Idare say John and your brother between them have exterminated the lionsin our neighbourhood by this time."
"I think Hilda was very plucky to come all this way alone," said Helen."_I_ shouldn't have had the courage."
"But I wasn't really alone," said Hilda Ferrier. "The people on the_Mauretania_ were very kind, and I met you on the _Palawan_, you see. Iwas thinking more of the natives than of lions: of course, you can shootlions."
"And you can shoot men, my dear," said Mr. Halliday.
"There, now you've frightened her," said Mrs. Burtenshaw, as a startledlook crossed the girl's face. "What an absurd man you are, David!You've told us over and over again that the natives are perfectlyfriendly."
"So we found them, Cousin Sylvia. We had no trouble except with thethieves of our own safari. I grudge them the rifles they stole, that'sa fact. I suppose that villain Juma has never dared to show his face inNairobi again, Gillespie?"
"Not to my knowledge. He wouldn't bring your rifles if he did."
"Why did he steal them, then?" asked Helen.
"To shoot with, of course," said Oliver Browne. "What a question!"
"I thought he might want to sell them, or pawn them, or something."
"We've no pawn-shops in Nairobi," said Mr. Gillespie, laughing, "thoughI'm sorry to say we've some Indian money-lenders who've got their clutchon some of our poorer settlers. Juma won't try to sell the rifles hereat any rate. I suppose he stole them to shoot with, as your brothersays, though I confess it's a little odd. He has been a porter forseveral years past, and it isn't like porters to give up their trade.Perhaps he has taken a fancy for being independent, and has settled downsomewhere with others of his kidney. The rifles would be very useful tohim in getting food. He's a scamp, though; for he has unquestionablydeserted his wife, who has turned out a capital laundress, John says."
"He hasn't been back to the farm?" asked Mr. Halliday.
"John hasn't said so. I think my notion must be correct, because theman has led an adventurous life, and the only surprising thing is thathe should go back to it after years of portering. I believe he oncebelonged to a party of Arab ivory-dealers--I can't call them hunters,for all they did was to buy, or steal, ivory from the Wanderobbo northof Kenya. They were smashed up a few years ago by a tribe of Embe orRendili, and Juma was said to be the only one who escaped. He hasalways been a good porter, except for his temper, and people have put upwith that because of his strength and ingenuity.... This is cheese fromJohn's dairy, Mrs. Burtenshaw; I can recommend it."
At this point a black servant entered, carrying a letter on a salver.
"A letter from John himself," said Mr. Gillespie, glancing at theenvelope. "Now we shall hear all the news."
He broke the envelope and cast his eye over the contents, the otherswaiting in silence to hear what he had to say. He looked up in a momentand gave a quick glance at Mr. Halliday. Then, still holding theletter, he smiled and said--
"Shall we go into the other room, Mother, and digest this letter withsome coffee?"
"Very well, my dear," said Mrs. Gillespie, rising. No one could havedetected from her placid face and natural movements that she was awarethat something was wrong. Oliver, who was nearest to the door, held itwhile the ladies passed out, and stood back for the elder men to follow.
"Go on, my boy," said Mr. Gillespie. "I'll look out some cigars I wantyou to try; be with you in a moment."
He took Mr. Halliday by the arm as he was passing, shut the door, andputting the letter into his hand, said--
"Read that!"
; This is what Mr. Halliday read--
DEAR MR. GILLESPIE,
The farm has been raided while we were away--got away by a trick. Isuspect Juma and his gang. They collared all our rifles and ammunition.Ferrier and I are starting at once to follow them up. I want you tosend up somebody at once--a white man--to give an eye to things. I daresay we shall be back by the time he gets here, but it'll be just as wellto have somebody on the spot in case we're longer than I expect. Sorryto trouble you, but I've got to teach Juma a lesson.
Yours in haste, D. HALLIDAY.
"That's the explanation!" exclaimed Mr. Halliday. "Can I startto-night?"
"No. This may be a serious business--the young madcap! I hope he'llturn back if he doesn't catch them at once----"
"That wouldn't be John. He'll go on till he has thrashed them."
"Then heaven help him! Man, he may find himself among a whole tribe ofblood-thirsty savages. And the worst of it is we may not reach him intime. It's not merely a question of looking after the farm. We'llstart as soon as it's light: I'll get a party together."
"The police?"
"No: can't wait for them. I'll go down to the club and get some fellowsI can rely on. We'll go on horses and mules. We had better not alarmthe women."
"We must tell them something. Better out with it, I think. They'llonly think it worse than it is if they see we're keeping somethingback."
"Couldn't be worse. Well, perhaps you are right; but don't let 'em seewe're put about."
"All right. Give me a cigar."
They strolled into the other room smoking, showing no trace of theiranxiety. Mrs. Gillespie looked up quickly as her husband entered, butonly said--
"Come, your coffee is poured out and getting cold."
"My own growing, ma'am," said Mr. Gillespie to Mrs. Burtenshaw, as hetook his cup, "and I hope you like it."
"Mother couldn't say she doesn't, could she?" said Helen archly. "_I_like it very much."
"Helen speaks for us all," said Mrs. Burtenshaw. "Well, what does Johnsay?"
"Any news of the failed B.A.?" asked Joe.
"He doesn't mention him this time. In fact, it's just a note: you can'tcall it a letter. He has had to leave the farm for a day or two, andwants me to send up a man to look after things in his absence."
"Has Charley gone too?" asked Hilda Ferrier.
"Yes, they've both gone, or it wouldn't be necessary to ask for a man.It's lucky Mr. Halliday is on the spot, so we shan't have to hireanybody."
"Gone shooting, I suppose," said Joe.
"Or after strayed sheep," said Oliver. "They're always a trouble."
"But I don't understand," said Hilda. "You say they have gone: whydidn't John get somebody before he went?"
"That shows it's sheep," replied Oliver quickly. "He'd have to start atonce or he wouldn't stand much chance of getting 'em all. That's it,isn't it, Mr. Gillespie?"
"Well, no, not exactly."
"In fact," said Mr. Halliday quietly, "the farm has been robbed, and asthere are no policemen in the neighbourhood, John has had to go afterthe robbers himself."
"Gone shooting: I said so," remarked Joe.
"Don't be absurd, Joe," said Helen.
"I'm going to take Halliday down to the club, if you'll excuse us," saidMr. Gillespie. "He'll start for the farm to-morrow----"
"So soon!" interrupted Joe quickly. "I thought we should all gotogether at the end of the week."
"I must go to-morrow," said Mr. Halliday, "and as I shall be off beforeyou're up in the morning I'll say good-bye now. I'll be back in a fewdays, and then you can all come and view our estate. It's just as wellthat I am going first, for we shall have to get some rooms ready foryou, you know."
He shook hands all round, and left with Mr. Gillespie, who had beenspeaking in an undertone to his wife. Joe Browne followed them from theroom.
"I say, Cousin David," he said, "what's up?"
Hesitating a moment, Mr. Halliday put John's note into his hand. Joewhistled softly.
"I'm coming," he said. "So will Poll. What time do you start?"
"My dear boy, your mother----"
"Mother's an old trump. I shall tell her the exact state of the casequietly, of course; I won't scare the girls; and she won't turn a hair.We'll ride, I suppose? You can get us mounts, Mr. Gillespie?"
"Yes. We'll start at sunrise. You've got khaki and sun helmets?"
"Of course. We'll be ready, sir, Poll and I."
At six o'clock next morning a party of ten rode out of Nairobi. Itconsisted of the four men we know, with five friends of Mr. Gillespieand a Somali guide. Six were mounted on horses, the rest on mules. Twomembers of Mr. Gillespie's household watched them leave. One was hiswife, who bid them Godspeed at the door; the other was Hilda Ferrier,who had passed a sleepless night, and looked forth from the window ofher room with tired and anxious eyes.