nd, as I inspected them myself and am sure
that they have not been tampered with, besides the value of the necklace
the Asika gave me we've got L100,000 to begin our married life upon with
something over for old Jeekie, and I daresay we shall do very well on
that."

"Yes, Alan, very well indeed." Then she reflected a while, for the
mention of Jeekie's name seemed to have made her thoughtful, and added,
"Alan, what _do_ you think became of Lord Aylward?"

"I am sure I don't know. Jeekie and I and some of the porters went
to see the Old Calabar officials and made affidavits as to the
circumstances of his disappearance. We couldn't do any more, could we?"

"No, Alan. But do you think that Jeekie quite understands the meaning of
an oath? I mean it seems so strange that we should never have found the
slightest trace of him, and, Alan, I don't know if you noticed it, but
why did Jeekie appear that morning wearing Lord Aylward's socks and
boots?"

"He ought to know all about oaths, he has heard enough of them in
Magistrates' Courts, but as regards the boots, I am sure I can't say,
dear," answered Alan uneasily. "Here he comes, we will ask him," and he
did.

"Sock and boot," replied Jeekie, with a surprised air, "why, Mrs. Major,
if that good lord go mad and cut off into forest leaving them behind,
of course I put them on, as they no more use to him, and I just burn my
dirty old Asiki dress and sandal and got nothing to keep jigger out of
toe. Don't you sit up here in this damp, cold, Mrs. Major, else you
get more fever. You go down and dress dinner, which at half-past six
to-night. I just come tell you that."

So Barbara went, leaving the other two talking about various matters,
for they were alone together on the deck, all the passengers, of whom
there were but few, having gone below.

The short African twilight had come, a kind of soft blue haze that made
the ship look mysterious and unnatural. By degrees their conversation
died away. They lapsed into a silence, which Alan was the first to
break.

"What are you thinking of, Jeekie?" he asked nervously.

"Thinking of Asika, Major," he answered in a scared whisper. "Seem to me
that she about somewhere, just as she use pop up in room in Gold House;
seem to me I feel her all down my back, likewise in head wool, which
stand up."

"It's very odd, Jeekie," replied Alan, "but so do I."

"Well, Major, 'spect she thinking of us, specially of you, and just
throw what she