und himself gazing fascinated at the heads of the three men he
had left at New Gibbon. The yellow mustache of Wallenstein had lost its
fierce curl and drooped and wilted on the upper lip.

"I don't know how it happened," the Scotchman's voice went on drearily.
"But I surmise they went into the bush after the old devil."

"And where is Koho?" Grief asked.

"Back in the bush and drunk as a lord. That's how I was able to recover
the heads. He was too drunk to stand. They lugged him on their backs out
of the village when I rushed it. And if you'll relieve me of the heads,
I'll be well obliged." He paused and sighed. "I suppose they'll have
regular funerals over them and put them in the ground. But in my way of
thinking they'd make excellent curios. Any respectable museum would pay
a hundred quid apiece. Better have another drink. You're looking a bit
pale---- There, put that down you, and if you'll take my advice, Mr.
Grief, I would say, set your face sternly against any joking with
the niggers. It always makes trouble, and it is a very expensive
divertisement."

Chapter Five--A LITTLE ACCOUNT WITH SWITHIN HALL

I

With a last long scrutiny at the unbroken circle of the sea, David Grief
swung out of the cross-trees and slowly and dejectedly descended the
ratlines to the deck.

"Leu-Leu Atoll is sunk, Mr. Snow," he said to the anxious-faced young
mate. "If there is anything in navigation, the atoll is surely under the
sea, for we've sailed clear over it twice--or the spot where it ought to
be. It's either that or the chronometer's gone wrong, or I've forgotten
my navigation."

"It must be the chronometer, sir," the mate reassured his owner. "You
know I made separate sights and worked them up, and that they agreed
with yours."

"Yes," Grief muttered, nodding glumly, "and where your Summer lines
crossed, and mine, too, was the dead centre of Leu-Leu Atoll. It must be
the chronometer--slipped a cog or something."

He made a short pace to the rail and back, and cast a troubled eye at
the _Uncle Toby's_ wake. The schooner, with a fairly strong breeze on
her quarter, was logging nine or ten knots.

"Better bring her up on the wind, Mr. Snow. Put her under easy sail and
let her work to windward on two-hour legs. It's thickening up, and I
don't imagine we can get a star observation to-night; so we'll just hold
our weather position, get a latitude sight to-morrow, and run Leu-Leu
down on her own latitude.