“Rub the dust out of your eyes, man.”
“There’s none there.”
“Tchah! Your eyes are full of the dust those two threw there. Can’t you see?”
“No.”
“Well, I am surprised at you,” cried Anson; “and after such a hint too! Can’t you see that they’ve been a-playing upon you—setting you off on a blind lead to keep your attention while they went off with a big parcel of diamonds?”
“What! West and Ingleborough?”
“To be sure! What should they want to volunteer for, and risk capture by the Boers, if they hadn’t something to gain by it?”
“Well, they had something to gain—honour and promotion.”
“Pish!” cried Anson; “they want something better than that! You’ve been had, squire. You’ve been set to catch poor innocent, lamb-like me, and all the while those two foxes have been stealing away with the plunder.”
“What!” cried the superintendent.