their throats cut one at a time and none of us any the wiser. The compound is far too big to form a defensible unit. You’d better get every one up here, arrange for shifts of guard and put a picket of your sowars with horses half a mile down the road to the town to bring the alarm if a raiding party comes into sight. You run in and talk to the women. I’ll arrange it all for you.”
And the Envoy Extraordinary could find nothing to say. The day had been too much for him. Every one was stark crazy and damned bad-mannered too.
They could do what they liked. He was going to smoke a cigar, alone, in his study.
Basil took command. In half an hour the Legges and the Anstruthers bearing children wrapped in blankets and their meagre supply of firearms, arrived in the drawing-room.
“I suppose that this is necessary,” said Lady Courteney, “but I’m afraid that you’ll none of you be at all comfortable.”
An attempt to deceive the children that nothing unusual was afoot proved unsuccessful; it was not long before they were found in a corner of the hall enacting with tremendous gusto the death agonies of the Italian lady whose scalp was eaten by termites.
“The gentleman in the funny clothes told us,’
‘ they explained. “Coo, mummy, it must have hurt.”
The grown-ups moved restlessly about.
“Anything we can do to help?”
“Yes, count the cartridges out into equal piles… it might be a good thing to prepare some bandages too… Legge, the hinges of this shutter aren’t too good. See if you can find a screw driver.”
It was about ten o’clock when it was discovered that the native servants who had been massed in the legation kitchens from the surrounding households, had silently taken their leave. Only Basil’s camel boys remained in possession. They had compounded for themselves a vast stew of incongruous elements and were sodden with eating.
“Other boys going home. No want cutting off heads. They much no good boys. We like it fine living here.”
News of the desertion made havoc among the nerves in the drawing-room. Sir Samson merely voiced the feelings of all his guests when, turning petulantly from the table, he remarked: “It’s no good. My heart is not in halma this evening.”
But the night passed and no assault was made. The men of the party watched, three hours on, three hours off, at the various vulnerable points. Each slept with a weapon beside him, revolver, rook rifle, shot-gun or meat chopper. Continuous low chattering in the rooms upstairs, rustle of dressing gowns, patter of slippers and frequent shrill cries from the youngest Anstruther child in nightmare, told that the ladies were sleeping little. At dawn they assembled again with pale faces and strained eyes. Lady Courteney’s English maid and the Goan butler went to the kitchen and, circumventing with difficulty the recumbent camel boys, made hot coffee. Spirits rose a little; they abandoned the undertones which had become habitual during the last ten hours and spoke in normal voices; they began to yawn. Basil said, “One night over. Of course your real dan-ger will come when supplies begin running short in the town.’
That discouraged them from any genuine cheerfulness.
They went out onto the lawn. Smoke lay low over the town.
“Something still burning.”
Presently Anstruther said, “I say, though, look over there. Aren’t those clouds?”
“It’s a week early for the rains.”
“Still, you never know.”
“That’s rain all right,” said Basil. “I was counting on it to-day or tomorrow. They got it last week in Kenya. It’ll delay the repairs on the Lumo bridge pretty considerably.”
“Then I must get those bulbs in this morning,” said Lady Courteney. “It’ll be a relief to have something sensible to do after tearing up sheets for bandages and sewing sandbags. You might have told me before, Mr. Seal.”
“If I were you,” said Basil, “I should start checking your stores and making out a scheme of rations. I should think my boys must have eaten a good week’s provisions last night.”
The party split up and attempted to occupy themselves in useful jobs about the house; soon, however, there came a sound which brought them out helter-skelter, all together again, chattering on the lawn; the drone of an approaching aeroplane.
“That’ll be Ballon,’
‘ said Basil, “making his get-away.’
But as the machine came into sight it became clear that it was making for the Legation; it flew low, circling over the compound and driving the ponies to frenzy in their stables. They could see the pilot’s head looking at them over the side. A weighted flag fluttered from it to the ground, then the machine mounted again and soared off in the direction of the coast. The Anstruther children ran, crowing with delight, to retrieve the message from the rose garden and bring it to the Minister. It was a brief pencil note, signed by the squadron-leader at Aden. Am bringing two troop carriers, three bombers. Be prepared to evacuate whole British population from Legation in one hour from receiving this. Can carry official archives and bare personal necessities only.
“That’s Walsh’s doing. Clever chap, always said so. But I say, though, what a rush.”
For the next hour the Legation was in a ferment as a growing pile of luggage assembled on the lawn.
‘Official archives, indeed. There may be some papers about somewhere, William. See if any of them seem at all interesting.’
“We’ll have to put the ponies out to grass and hope for the best.’
“Lock all doors and take the keys away. Not that it’s likely to make any difference.’
