A Frontier Mystery Part 9

"_Ou_!" he grunted, and turned away. I thought enough had been said, to these young ones at any rate, so forbore to give them anything more in the way of entertainment lest they should think we were afraid of them.

And soon, somewhat to my relief, and very much to the relief of my guests, they picked up their weapons, and with their curs at their heels moved away in groups as they had come.

"Well, we seem to have put you to no end of bother, Glanton, for which I can't tell you how sorry we are," said the Major. "And now we mustn't put you to any more--so, as there is to be no hunt I propose that we saddle up, and go home."

"Not until after lunch at any rate, Major," I said. "I can't allow that for a moment. As for bother it has been nothing but a pleasure to me, except this last tiresome business."

I thought Miss Sewin's face expressed unmistakable approval as I caught her glance.

"How well you seem to manage these people, Mr Glanton," she said. "I-- we--were beginning to feel rather nervous until you came up. Then we were sure it would all come right. And it has."

Inwardly I thought it had done anything but that, but under the circ.u.mstances my confounded conceit was considerably tickled by her approval, and I felt disposed to purr. However I answered that talking over natives was an everyday affair with me, in fact part of my trade, and by the time we sat down to lunch--which was not long, for the morning was well on by then--good humour seemed generally restored.

Even Falkner had got over his sulks.

"I say, Sewin," I said to him as I pa.s.sed him the bottle. "You were talking about going on a trading trip with me. It wouldn't do to get chipping bits out of the chiefs' head-rings on the other side of the river, you know. They take that sort of thing much more seriously over there."

"Oh hang it, Glanton, let a fellow alone, can't you," he answered, grinning rather foolishly.

"By the way, Major, has anything more been heard about Hensley?" I said.

"Hensley? Who's he? Ah, I remember. He's been over at our place a couple of times. Why? Is he ill?"

"n.o.body knows--or where he is. He has disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"Yes. n.o.body seems to have the slightest clue as to what has become of him. He went to bed as usual, and in the morning--well, he wasn't there. He couldn't have gone away anywhere, for his horses were all on the place, and his boys say they had never heard him express any intention of leaving home."

"Good gracious, no. We hadn't heard of it," said Mrs Sewin. "But-- when was it?"

"About a fortnight ago. I didn't hear of it till the other day--and then through native sources."

"Oh, some n.i.g.g.e.r yarn I suppose," said Falkner in his superior manner, which always ruffled me.

"Would you be surprised to hear that I obtain a good deal of astonishingly accurate information through the same source, Sewin?" I answered. "In fact there is more than one person to whom it relates, who would be more than a little uncomfortable did they guess how much I knew about them."

"Oh, then you run a n.i.g.g.e.r gossip shop as well as a n.i.g.g.e.r trading shop," he retorted, nastily.

"But what a very unpleasant thing," hastily struck in his aunt, anxious to cover his rudeness. "Does that sort of thing happen here often?"

"I never heard of a case before."

"Probably the n.i.g.g.e.rs murdered him and stowed him away somewhere,"

p.r.o.nounced the irrepressible Falkner.

"Even 'n.i.g.g.e.rs' don't do that sort of thing without a motive, and here there was none. Less by a long way than had it been your case," I was tempted to add, but didn't. "No, I own it puzzles me. I shall take a ride over there in a day or two, and make a few enquiries on the spot, just as a matter of curiosity."

"All the same it looks dashed fishy," said the Major. "D'you know, Glanton, I'm inclined to think Falkner may have hit it."

"Nothing's absolutely impossible," I answered. "Still, I don't think that's the solution."

"But the police--what do they think of it?"

"So far they are stumped utterly and completely--nor can their native detectives rout out anything."

"How very dreadful," said Mrs Sewin. "Really it makes one feel quite uncomfortable."

"He lived alone, remember, Mrs Sewin, and there are plenty of you," I laughed, meaning to be rea.s.suring. But I could see that a decidedly uncomfortable feeling had taken hold upon her mind, and tried to turn the conversation, blaming myself for a fool in having started such a subject at all on the top of the alarm the ladies had already been subjected to that morning. But they say there are compensations for everything, and mine came when just as they were preparing to start Mrs Sewin said to me:

"I have a very great favour to ask you, Mr Glanton, and I hardly like doing so after all your kindness to us since yesterday and what has come of it. But--would you mind riding home with us this afternoon. After what has just happened we should feel so much safer if you would."

I tried to put all the sincerity I could into my rea.s.surances that no one would interfere with them, but apart from my own inclinations a certain anxious look on Aida Sewin's face as they waited for my answer decided me.

"Why of course I will if it will be any help to you, Mrs Sewin," I said, and then again a quick grateful look from the same quarter caused me to tread on air, as I went round to see to the saddling up of the horses--my own among them.

As we took our way down the well worn bush path I could see that the incident of the morning had not been entirely cleared off from the minds of the party. The ladies were inclined to be nervous, and if a horse started and shied at a tortoise or a white snail sh.e.l.l beside the path I believe they more than half expected a crowd of revengeful savages to rush out and ma.s.sacre them on the spot. However, of course, nothing happened, and we got to the Major's farm by sundown.

Then I had my reward.

"Will you come and help me water some of the flowers, Mr Glanton?" said Miss Sewin, after we had offsaddled and generally settled ourselves.

"No--don't say you are going back. Mother is very nervous to-night, and I know you are going to add to your kindness to us by sleeping here."

Again I trod on air--and yet--and yet--I felt that I was acting like a fool. What on earth could come of it--at any rate to my advantage?

Yet, again--why not?

"I want you to promise me something, Mr Glanton, will you?" Miss Sewin said, when dusk and the lateness of the hour had put an end to what was to me one of the most delightful half hours I ever remember spending, for we had spent it alone, she chatting in that free and natural manner of hers, I agreeing with everything, as the entrancement of listening to her voice and watching her grace of movement wound itself more and more around me.

"I think I may safely promise you anything, Miss Sewin," I answered.

"Well? What is it?"

"I want you to promise me not to quarrel with my cousin--no matter how rude and provoking he may be."

"Is that all? Why of course I will."

"Ah but--you may not find it so easy," she went on, speaking earnestly, and her wide open glance full on my face. "I have been noticing his behaviour towards you of late, and admiring your forbearance. But as a personal favour to myself, don't quarrel with him."

"Oh, I still think that'll be an easy promise to keep," I said; and yet, the very fact that she was so anxious on the subject seemed to make the other way. Why was she?

She shook her head slightly and smiled, as though reading my thoughts.

"You see, we are all so friendly together, are we not?" she said. "And a man of your experience and good sense can afford to put up with a good deal from a mere boy who hasn't much of either."

"Why of course," I answered easily, and rea.s.sured by her tactful explanation. Yet--was Falkner such "a mere boy" after all?

CHAPTER NINE.

HENSLEY'S NEXT-OF-KIN.