s. I then turned round, waved my
hand--as also did George, and went down the mountain side, full of sad
thoughts, but thankful that my task had been so happily accomplished, and
aware that my life henceforward had been enriched by something that I
could never lose.

For I had never seen, and felt as though I never could see, George's
equal. His absolute unconsciousness of self, the unhesitating way in
which he took me to his heart, his fearless frankness, the happy genial
expression that played on his face, and the extreme sweetness of his
smile--these were the things that made me say to myself that the "blazon
of beauty's best" could tell me nothing better than what I had found and
lost within the last three hours. How small, too, I felt by comparison!
If for no other cause, yet for this, that I, who had wept so bitterly
over my own disappointment the day before, could meet this dear fellow's
tears with no tear of my own.

But let this pass. I got back to Harris's hut without adventure. When
there, in the course of the evening, I told Harris that I had a fancy for
the rug he had found on the river-bed, and that if he would let me have
it, I would give him my red one and ten shillings to boot. The exchange
was so obviously to his advantage that he made no demur, and next morning
I strapped Yram's rug on to my horse, and took it gladly home to England,
where I keep it on my own bed next to the counterpane, so that with care
it may last me out my life. I wanted him to take the dog and make a home
for him, but he had two collies already, and said that a retriever would
be of no use to him. So I took the poor beast on with me to the port,
where I was glad to find that Mr. Baker liked him and accepted him from
me, though he was not mine to give. He had been such an unspeakable
comfort to me when I was alone, that he would have haunted me unless I
had been able to provide for him where I knew he would be well cared for.
As for Doctor, I was sorry to leave him, but I knew he was in good hands.

"I see you have not brought your knapsack back, sir," said Mr. Baker.

"No," said I, "and very thankful was I when I had handed it over to those
for whom it was intended."

"I have no doubt you were, sir, for I could see it was a desperate heavy
load for you."

"Indeed it was." But at this point I brought the discussion to a close.

Two days later I sailed, and reached home early in February 1892. I was
married three w