Yet, here I am, with a perfectly official pistol, loaded with official cartridges, under unofficial orders to shoot you at the first sign of disobedience.

And--strictly unofficially, between you and me--I shan't hesitate to do it!" He contrived a smile out of the depths of his despondency.
"I wonder--should you shoot me--what they would do to you afterwards." "Something unofficial," I suggested.

"But we'll leave that up to them.

The point is--" "Oh, don't worry! You shall have no trouble from me." It took a long time to reach his house, for the poor old chap was suffering from lack of sleep, and physical weariness, as well as disappointment, and I had to let him sit down by the wayside once or twice.

Being in hard condition, and not much more than half his age, I had almost forgotten that I had not slept the night before.