There, gentlemen, I am busy.

You will attach yourselves to my staff, and help keep a watch over the loot in diamonds." Taking this to be a dismissal, the two young men retired to talk the matter over in their own quarters.
"I don't like it!" said West excitedly.

"We have our orders as to what we are to do about the despatch! Ought we to let a cavalry general override those instructions ?" "I suppose so," replied Ingleborough.

"Perhaps, after all, he is right." "Right ?" "Well, he knows from good information the state of the country, and we do not.

It would be better for your despatch never to be delivered than for it to fall into the enemy's hands." "Of course!" "Then why not take matters as you find them?
Are we not going to take news for our General over yonder, and reinforcements as well ?" "Yes, I hope so," replied West; "but one does not like when one's plans are made to have them interfered with." "Of course not," said Ingleborough, laughing; "but we started with fixed plans from Kimberley, and we've been interfered with and baffled ever since." "But we did get the despatch to Mafeking!" "Yes, even when it seemed quite hopeless; and we're going to get the answer back to Kimberley yet." "I hope so," said West gloomily.
"Bah! What a grumbler you are, Noll! Nothing seems to satisfy you! Haven't we turned the tables completely upon that fat pink innocent ?" West nodded his head.
"Isn't he prisoner instead of us ?" "Yes, that's true!" "And hasn't he proved your innocence and his own guilt before those officers ?" "Yes, he has done that!" said West, with his puckered face smoothing out.
"Then just confess that you are a growling, discontented, hard-to-satisfy young humbug." "I do--frankly!" cried West, laughing outright.
"Come, that's something; and I begin to think that I will forgive you and stick to you after all, instead of following out my own ideas." "Your own ideas ?" said West, looking at his companion enquiringly.
"What were those ?" "Well," said Ingleborough, in his dry stolid manner; "Shakespeare was a very able man." "My dear Ingle," cried West, staring, "whatever has Shakespeare got to do with your plans ?" "Everything, you young ignoramus.