How did you leave things
in Forza?"
"Bad. I oughtn't to be here, but Andy insisted. He said I would only
get worse and crock entirely. Things look a bit wild up there just now.
There has been a confounded lot of rifle-stealing, and the Bada-Mawidi
are troublesome. However, I hope it's only their fun."
"I hope so," said Thwaite. "You know Haystoun, don't you?"
"Glad to meet you," said the man. "Heard of you. Coming up our way? I
hope you will after I get this beastly leg of mine better."
"Thwaite will tell you I have been cross-examining him about your place.
I wanted badly to ask you about it, for I got a letter this morning from
a man called Marker with some news for you."
"What did he say?" asked Holm sharply.
"He said that he had heard privately that the Bada-Mawidi were planning
an attack on you to-morrow or the day after."
"The deuce they are," said Holm peevishly, and Thwaite's face
lengthened.
"And he told me to find some way of letting you know."
"Then why didn't you tell me earlier?" said Thwaite. "Marker should
know if anybody does. We should have kept Holm up there. Now it's
almost too late. Oh, this is the devil!"
Lewis held his peace. He had forgotten the solidity of Marker's
reputation.
"What's the chances of the place?" Thwaite was asking. "I know your
numbers and all that, but are they anything like prepared?"
"I don't know," said Holm miserably.
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