Courtney blew six smoke rings.

“You’ll have to forgive them, lad.  Too many of the Englishmen who have come here were bad bats from the South, so hot-footed that they burned the grass.  Then—­don’t forget that the Germans have a military government to the south of us—­all experienced men—­a great many of them unmitigated rascals, but nearly all of them clever—­students of strategy and psychology and tactics—­some of them brilliant men who have had to apply for colonial service because of debt or scandal.  They’re overmanned where we are under-manned—­backed up from home where our boys are only blamed and neglected—­well supplied with troops and ammunition, where our police are kept down to the danger point and now and then even without cartridges.  The Germans have no railway yet, but they’ve a policy and they keep it secret.  We have a railway, and no policy except retrenchment and economy.  I’m convinced the German government has no scruples.  We have.  So you must sympathize with our young men, not quarrel with them.”

“Believe me,” I said, “we didn’t start out to quarrel with anybody.  That woman lied about us.  There’s no excuse for believing her without giving us a hearing.”

“Oh, yes there is.  I spoke with her myself this evening,” said Courtney.  “She’s staying at my hotel, you know.  She’s a match for much more experienced men than our young officials.  They’ve been fighting Arabs, not flirting.  She had the impudence to try to flatter me.  I don’t doubt she’s telling a crowd of men tonight that I’m in love with her—­perhaps not exactly telling them that, but giving them to understand it.  Why don’t I stroll down to the club and deny it?  For the same reason that you don’t openly denounce her!  It’s semi- or wholly-sentimental chivalry—­rank stupidity, if you like to call it that, but it’s national, I’m glad to say, and I’m as proud of it as any one.”

“Doesn’t it look to you,” said Fred, “that if she and the German government are so infernally anxious to spoil our chances—­and they suspect what we’re after, you know—­doesn’t it look to you as if there may really be something in this quest of ours?”

“Undoubtedly,” said Courtney.  “There’s ivory in it, tons and tons and tons of ivory.  Somebody will find it some day.”

“Join us then!” said Fred.  “Cancel your trip to Somaliland and come with us!  I can speak for Monty.  I know he’ll welcome you into the partnership!”

“I believe I could almost speak for Monty, too,” laughed Courtney.  “He and I were at Eton together, and we’ve never ceased being friends.  But I can’t come with you.  No.  I’m making a sort of semi-official trip.  I shall hunt, of course, but there are observations to be made.  The pan-Islamic theory is said to be making headway also in Somaliland.”

“Do you feel you have any lien on the Elgon Caves and Bahr el Gazal clues?” Fred asked.

“No.  I make you a present of those ideas.  I’m sure I hope you find the stuff.  I’m wondering, though—­I’m wondering.”