"Gammon! Somebody's been kiddin' you."
"Swelp me, they ain't then. I 'eard Old Ikey talkin' about it to Billy Blood."
Billy Blood was Warder Thomson, so named since Gardiner had knocked out his teeth; Old Ikey was Warder Barnes. His name happened to be Ian, but the initial was enough for the wit of the prison.
"Well, who are we fighting, anyway? Did you hear that?"
At this moment West discovered that Warder Thomson's eye was upon him, and he sheered off to the end of his row. It was some time before, cautiously regulating their progress, they managed to come together again. West discharged his whisper without preface.
"It's Rooshia," he announced. "Rooshia and France."
"Not so bad for a beginning. Who else?"
"Well, they did say somethin' about Injer—"
"Great uprising of the native races. End of the British Raj," said Gardiner with levity. "Let 'em all come! We're in for a giddy time, I don't think. What price the British army now?"
"Oh, of course if you ain't goin' to believe me—"