'I'm sure you needn't talk!' he retorted; 'you weren't any more anxious to fight than I am.'
'But isn't that different? I thought you had fought them before, and conquered?'
'Then you thought wrong! Those—those weren't real Indians—I made them up, then!'
'Now we've got it!' said Uncle Lambert. 'Well, Master Clarence, you've made your little confession, and now it's my turn—I made Yellow Vulture up!'
'Are you sure—really sure—on your honour?' he asked eagerly.
'Honest Injun!' said Lambert. 'You see, I began to think the military business was getting rather overdone; the army, like Wordsworth's world, was "too much with us," and it occurred to me to see whether the General's courage would stand an outside test—so I composed that little challenge. Yes, you see before you the only Wah Na Sa Pash Boo—no others are genuine!'
Tinling felt that those girls were laughing at him; they had probably been in the secret for some time; but he could not care much just then—the relief was so delicious!
'It was too bad of you, Lambert,' said Mrs. Jolliffe. 'He was really horribly frightened, and there are those other two down in the stockade all alone—you might have thought of that—they will be half out of their minds by this time!'
'My dear Cecilia,' was the reply,'don't be uneasy, I did think of it. The moment they begin to feel at all uncomfortable they have directions to open a certain packet which explains the whole thing. If the gallant General had not been in quite such a hurry, he would have spared himself this unpleasant experience.'
'Let's all go down, and see how they're getting on,' said Hazel.