6 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



" That is well. I have known a good man to come to 

 grief owing to an untimely neigh. Have you looked to 

 his shoes lately ? " 



" Yes, sir ; he went to the farrier the day before 

 yesterday, but he is only shod on the fore." 



"You want nothing better, even for the roughest 

 ground in this country. You may as well take this 

 pocket-compass. Now, are you sure you fully under- 

 stand my instructions? " 



" Yes, sir." 



"Ah, well. Good-night, and, mind you, no smoking 

 at night. I know you are a heavy smoker, but if you 

 reflect that striking a match may cost you your life, I 

 think you will be able to refrain." 



" May I ask you to do something for me, sir, in case I 

 don't return ? " 



" Certainly, certainly. What can I do for you ? " 



" I should like to leave my father's address with you, 

 and to ask you to communicate with him in case it 

 should be necessary ; also to open all letters addressed 

 to me, read them, and then burn them." 



" Quite so. I promise you faithfully I will do this, 

 but I hope there will be no necessity for such a proceed- 

 ing on my part. However, enter the address in my 

 memorandum book," and as he spoke he tossed me the 

 book. 



Having made the entry, I saluted, turned about in 

 three motions, and left the tent. 



The commandant was one of those men who had the 

 rare gift of maintaining discipline, not by the machinery 

 of organisation, but solely by his individual force of 

 character and personal influence. Wherever he took us 

 we had a sort of feeling that he knew what he was about, 



