"I'm that myself," he said, with a comical smile--"failed M.A. of Glasgow, though I don't call myself so. Professor Ramsay's Latin Composition fair stuck me, that's a fact. Man, these Indians are a problem. We've some thousands of them here, industrious, quick, and able to live on next to nothing, which we Scotsmen have got out of the way of. I believe in free trade, when it is free; but I don't believe in free competition with people who can beat us hollow, and these Indians will do that if we let 'em. We're bound to put restrictions on them."
"But they're British subjects, sir," John was beginning.
"Aye," interrupted Mr. Gillespie, "and so are the lions and rhinoceros of these parts, and we have to fight 'em. A country can't belong to both wild beasts and men; nor can it belong to black men and white; one or other must go to the wall. Not that the Indians are wild beasts, or even black; on the contrary, they're very decent folk in the main, and that's the worst of it. The only solution I see is to let them develop the Lowlands where we can't live, and to keep the Highlands for ourselves. Man, it's a grand country."
After dinner Mr. Gillespie led his guests to the verandah, and providing them with deck-chairs and cigars, discussed with them their immediate future.
"We've a decent club here; I'll introduce you to-morrow, Halliday. You can get a round of golf; and there are several young lassies who'll play lawn tennis all day with your son if he wishes."
"Don't speak of it, man," said Mr. Halliday hastily. "We're out on business--strictly on business, and we've no time for playing till we've fixed on our land. Where is this Mount Kenya, anyway? John Gilmour--d'ye know him?--was out hunting a while ago, and he wrote me he'd found the very place for me, somewhere south-east of Mount Kenya; he stuck a post in the ground to mark the spot, and I've the directions written down somewhere."
"Mount Kenya's a bit north-east of us, a hundred miles or so. Fine country, too."
"And how do you get there?"
"Well, the ground's not exactly fit for motor-cars yet, and horses don't thrive. You can get mules, but they're apt to be a trouble, so I guess you'd better tramp it. You'll have to carry food with you, and a load of 'trade' for the natives; we'll have to see about getting carriers for you; you pay 'em about four rupees a month, and feed 'em. Their food don't cost much; you can get a hundredweight of native grain and red beans for three or four rupees, and if you're good shots you can provide yourselves with plenty of meat on the way."
"There's no fear of trouble with the natives, I suppose?"