he dust of an extremely oriental road. I followed. A
long way in the rear my mate whooped like a savage. A young moon threw
a bashful light on a plain like a monstrous waste ground: the
architectural mass of a Buddhist temple far away projected itself
in dead black on the sky. We lost the thief of course; but in my
disappointment I had to admire Hermann's presence of mind. The velocity
that stodgy man developed in the interests of a complete stranger earned
my warm gratitude--there was something truly cordial in his exertions.

He seemed as vexed as myself at our failure, and would hardly listen to
my thanks. He said it was "nothings," and invited me on the spot to
come on board his ship and drink a glass of beer with him. We poked
sceptically for a while amongst the bushes, peered without conviction
into a ditch or two. There was not a sound: patches of slime glimmered
feebly amongst the reeds. Slowly we trudged back, drooping under the
thin sickle of the moon, and I heard him mutter to himself, "Himmel!
Zwei und dreissig Pfund!" He was impressed by the figure of my loss. For
a long time we had ceased to hear the mate's whoops and yells.

Then he said to me, "Everybody has his troubles," and as we went on
remarked that he would never have known anything of mine hadn't he by an
extraordinary chance been detained on shore by Captain Falk. He didn't
like to stay late ashore--he added with a sigh. The something doleful in
his tone I put to his sympathy with my misfortune, of course.

On board the Diana Mrs. Hermann's fine eyes expressed much interest and
commiseration. We had found the two women sewing face to face under the
open skylight in the strong glare of the lamp. Hermann walked in first,
starting in the very doorway to pull off his coat, and encouraging
me with loud, hospitable ejaculations: "Come in! This way! Come in,
captain!" At once, coat in hand, he began to tell his wife all about
it. Mrs. Hermann put the palms of her plump hands together; I smiled
and bowed with a heavy heart: the niece got up from her sewing to
bring Hermann's slippers and his embroidered calotte, which he assumed
pontifically, talking (about me) all the time. Billows of white stuff
lay between the chairs on the cabin floor; I caught the words "Zwei und
dreissig Pfund" repeated several times, and presently came the beer,
which seemed delicious to my throat, parched with running and the
emotions of the chase.

I didn't get away till well