Sekukuni had been fighting us recently, so that there would be a very brisk market for rifles.

This, too, would account for Marnham's apparent knowledge of that Chief's plans.
Possibly, however, he had no knowledge and only made a pretence of it to keep us out of the country.
Later on I confided the whole story and my suspicions to Anscombe, who was much interested.
"What picturesque scoundrels!" he exclaimed, "We really ought to go back to the Temple.

I have always longed to meet some real live I.D.B.'s." "It is probable that you have done that already without knowing it.

For the rest, if you wish to visit that den of iniquity, you must do so alone." "Wouldn't whited sepulchre be a better term, especially as it seems to cover dead men's bones ?" he replied in his frivolous manner.
Then I asked him what he was going to do about Footsack and the bottle of gin, which he countered by asking me what I was going to do with that diamond.
"Give it to you as Footsack's master," I said, suiting the action to the word.

"I don't wish to be mixed up in doubtful transactions." Then followed a long argument as to who was the real owner of the stone, which ended in its being hidden away be produced if called for, and in Footsack, who ought have had a round dozen, receiving a scolding from his master, coupled with the threat that if he stole more gin he would be handed over to a magistrate--when we met one.
On the following day we reached the hot, low-lying veld which the herd of buffalo was said to inhabit.