"A goop, sir?—if you'd be kind enough to explain——?"

"There's an ass," said Hamilton, ticking off one finger; "and there's a silly ass," he ticked off the second; "and there's a silly ass who is such a silly ass that he doesn't know what a silly ass he is: we call him a goop."

"Thank you, sir," said Bones, without resentment, "and which is the goop, you or——?"

Hamilton dropped his hand on his revolver butt, and for a moment there was murder in his eyes.


CHAPTER III

THE LOST N'BOSINI

M'ilitani, there is a bad palaver in the N'bosini country," said the gossip-chief of the Lesser Isisi, and wagged his head impressively.