ross-piece dock, and pulled the plug out of the bottom to let it drain.
There was no sound, even of the dogs, as they flung their spoil ashore.
It was the very instant of moon-rise. At first a copper rim was answered
by the faintest line in the water. Then the full reddish disk stood upon
a strong copper pillar, smooth and flawless in a rippleless lake, and
that became denuded of its capital as the ball rose over it into the
sky.

"Seems still," remarked Brown, and he ran up the path, shaking leaf
loam like dry tobacco dust from the roots of ferns he had brought to
Francoise. He knew at once that she and Gougou had left the camp. He sat
down on the dog-kennel with his hands on his knees, staring at the dim
earth. Puttany went from tent to cabin, calling his daily playmate,
unable to convince himself that some unusual thing had happened, and he
hoped that Brown would contradict him when he felt compelled to announce
his slow discovery.

"Dey vas gone!"

"Damn you, Puttany!" exploded his partner, "what did you bring her here
for? I didn't want to get into this! I wanted to steer clear of women!
You knew I was soft! You knew her black eyes, and the child that made
her seem like the Virgin, would get in their work on me!"

"No, I didn't," said Puttany, in phlegmatic consternation.

"What's the matter, Frank? Haven't we behaved white to this woman? Have
you done anything, you stupid old Dutchman," cried Brown, collaring
his partner with abrupt violence, "that would drive her out of the camp
without a word?"

"I svear, Prowny," the other gasped, as soon as he had breath for
swearing, "I haf been so polite to her as my own mudder."

The younger man sat down again, dropping lax hands across his knees.
A growl inside the box reminded him that Jim the blood-hound should be
brought to account for this disappearance.

"Come out here!" he commanded, and the lithe beast crept wagging and
apologizing to his side. "What kind of a way is this for you to keep
a camp--Jess sitting in the kitchen, and you in the box, and somebody
carrying off Francoise and the boy, and every rag that would show they
had ever been here--and not a sound out of your cowardly head till we
come home and catch you skulking? I've a notion to take a board and beat
you to death!"

Jim lay down with an abject and dismal whine.

"Where is she?"

Jim lifted his nose and sniffed hopefully, and his master rose up and
dragged him by the collar to the empty