Diane did not hear.

"Every wild thing calls," she went on, impetuously. "It always has.
Fish--bird--wild flower--the smell of clover--the hum of bees--I can't
pretend to tell you what they all mean to me. Even as a youngster I
frightened my aunt half to death by running away to sleep in the
forest. I'm sorry I'll ever have to go back to civilization!"

"And yet," insisted Philip inexorably, "to me it seems that you should
go back--to-morrow!"

"I do seem to feel a stir of temper!" said Diane reflectively. "Maybe
I'd better go back and look at supper. You can come after you're
through pelting that frog."

"There's still another reason," said Philip humbly, "which I can't tell
you. Indeed, I ought not mention it. I can only beg you to take it on
trust and believe that it's another forcible argument against your
trip. Somehow, everything in my mind weaves into a gigantic warning.
So disturbing is the notion," added Philip unquietly, "that--"

"Yes?" queried Diane politely.

"That after much thought, I have decided to stay here in camp until you
abandon your nomadic scheme and break camp for home. There'll come a
time, I'm sure, when you'll think as I do to get rid of me."

Diane rose with suspicious mildness.

"I'm hungry," she said, "and Johnny's yodeling."

"Well," said Philip provokingly, "I don't believe I want any supper
after all. The atmosphere's too chilly."

CHAPTER XV

JOKAI OF VIENNA

It was insolent music, a taunt in every note. Carl laid aside his
flute and inspected his prisoner with impudent interest.

"You _are_ the most difficult person to entertain!" he accused softly.
"Here Hunch has strained a sinuous spine performing our beautiful
native dances, the tango and the hesitation, and I've fluted up all the
wind in the room and still you glower."

"Monsieur," broke forth the prisoner, goaded beyond endurance by the
stifling heat and the stench of Hunch's pipe, "is it not enough to
imprison me here without reason, that you must taunt and gibe--" he
choked indignantly and stared desperately at the boarded windows.

"Let your voice out, do!" encouraged Carl. "We dispensed with the
caretaker days ago, fearing you'd feel restricted."

The other's face was livid.

"Monsieur!" he cried imperiously, his eyes flashing. "Take care!"

"I know," said Carl soothingly, "that you have deep, dark, sinister
possibilities within you--dear, yes! You tried something of the sort
on