ng a good many things. But
in your case, Bastin, the cause is clear enough. You have been walking
about with the head of that idol and always keep it close to you. No
doubt they believe that you are a priest of the worship of the god of
the Grove--Baal, you know, or something of that sort."

When he heard this Bastin's face became a perfect picture. Never before
did I see it so full of horror struggling with indignation.

"I must undeceive them without a moment's delay," he said, and was
starting for the cave when we caught his arms and held him.

"Better wait till they come back, old fellow," I said, laughing. "If
you disobey that Lord Oro you may meet with another experience in the
sacrifice line."

"Perhaps you are right, Arbuthnot. I will occupy the interval in
preparing a suitable address."

"Much better occupy it in preparing breakfast," said Bickley. "I have
always noticed that you are at your best extempore."

In the end he did prepare breakfast though in a distrait fashion; indeed
I found him beginning to make tea in the frying-pan. Bastin felt
that his opportunity had arrived, and was making ready to rise to the
occasion.

Also we felt, all three of us, that we were extremely shabby-looking
objects, and though none of us said so, each did his best to improve
his personal appearance. First of all Bickley cut Bastin's and my hair,
after which I did him the same service. Then Bickley who was normally
clean shaven, set to work to remove a beard of about a week's growth,
and I who wore one of the pointed variety, trimmed up mine as best I
could with the help of a hand-glass. Bastin, too, performed on his which
was of the square and rather ragged type, wisely rejecting Bickley's
advice to shave it off altogether, offered, I felt convinced, because
he felt that the result on Bastin would be too hideous for words. After
this we cut our nails, cleaned our teeth and bathed; I even caught
Bickley applying hair tonic from his dressing case in secret, behind a
projecting rock, and borrowed some myself. He gave it me on condition
that I did not mention its existence to Bastin who, he remarked, would
certainly use the lot and make himself smell horrible.

Next we found clean ducks among our store of spare clothes, for the
Orofenans had brought these with our other possessions, and put them on,
even adding silk cumberbunds and neckties. My tie I fastened with a pin
that I had obtained in Egypt. It was a tiny gold sta