upon them, Alec was determined to put out of
his mind all that had gone before. It was right that the weakness which
had ruined him should be forgotten, and Alec could dwell honestly on the
boy's charm of manner, and on his passionate love for his sister.

The months followed one another, the dry season gave place to the wet,
and at length Alec was able to say that the result he had striven for
was achieved. Success rewarded his long efforts, and it was worth the
time, the money, and the lives that it had cost. The slavers were driven
out of a territory larger than the United Kingdom, treaties were signed
with chiefs who had hitherto been independent, by which they accepted
the suzerainty of Great Britain; and only one step remained, that the
government should take over the rights of the company which had been
given powers to open up the country, and annex the conquered district to
the empire. It was to this that MacKenzie now set himself; and he
entered into communication with the directors of the company and with
the commissioner at Nairobi.

But it seemed as if the fates would snatch from him all enjoyment of the
laurels he had won, for on their way towards Nairobi, Alec and Dr.
Adamson were attacked by blackwater fever. For weeks Alec lay at the
point of death. His fine constitution seemed to break at last, and he
himself thought that the end was come. Condamine, one of the company's
agents, took command of the party and received Alec's final
instructions. Alec lay in his camp bed, with his faithful Swahili boy by
his side to brush away the flies, waiting for the end. He would have
given much to live till all his designs were accomplished, but that
apparently was not to be. There was only one thing that troubled him.
Would the government let the splendid gift he offered slip through their
fingers? Now was the time to take formal possession of the territories
which he had pacified: the prestige of the whites was at its height, and
there were no difficulties to be surmounted. He impressed upon
Condamine, whom he wished to be appointed sub-commissioner under a chief
at Nairobi, the importance of making all this clear to the authorities.
The post he suggested would have been pressed upon himself, but he had
no taste for official restrictions, and his part of the work was done.
So far as this went, his death was of little consequence.

And then he thought of Lucy. He wondered if she would understand what he
had done.