“Then if you ’ll give me a lump sum down for my share, and lend me a team, I ’ll leave the infernal place this afternoon,” said Joyce, nettled.
Wilson went into the house and came out with a roll of greasy notes.
“There,” he said, “will that satisfy you? I ’ve been wanting to part company for a long time, and I ’ve kept ’em by me.”
Joyce counted the notes, and to his surprise found the sum exceeded that which he himself calculated to be his due. After half an hour’s joint examination of their roughly-kept accounts, he found that Wilson was right.
“You are an honest man,” he said with a smile. “It is a pity you have so many other failings.”
“I can keep myself out of quod, at any rate,” replied Wilson, “which is more than some people can say.”
The retort was like a blow in the face. Joyce staggered under it.
“Another time don’t be so devilish smart with your tongue,” said Wilson. “I ain’t the one to cast a man’s misfortunes in his teeth, but, all the same, it’s best for a man like you to lie low.”
“What the devil are you talking of?” said Joyce, fiercely.
“What’s the good of bluff? You’ve given yourself away heaps of times.”
“I insist upon knowing what you mean,” said Joyce.
How could this man have learned his history? Noakes could not have betrayed him. For the honour of his dead comrade he could not let the matter drop. Wilson tilted back his chair and squirted a stream of tobacco-juice over the floor, which aroused the indignation of the Boer woman, who was sitting on some sacks near the door, peeling potatoes. Her lord was a beastly Englander, and a great many other undesirable things. Wilson, who had not yet laced his heavy boots, took one off to throw at her head, but Joyce caught his arm.
“You’d better thank Mr. Joyce for saving your beauty from being damaged,” he said, pulling on the boot again.
“Now,” said Joyce, as soon as domestic peace was restored, “tell me what you meant just now.”
Wilson rose, went to the door and ostentatiously spat over the Boer woman’s head; then he turned round to Joyce:--
“Look here,” he said, “I have my hands full enough of quarrelling as it is. You ’d better trek off with that waggon and a couple of niggers. And I ’ll give you a piece of advice. When next you shake down alongside of a man to sleep, just keep from blabbing all your private affairs to him. And that’s why I wanted to be shut of you. We can do without your kind hereabouts. No wonder you were surprised to find me honest.”