no
trace!"

"Shut up, you fool!" growled Fred.

"Did you see him throw that dog in?" I retorted.

"No," he answered, "but I saw him strike you. That's enough! I'll
deal with him!"

I suppose Fred intended to knock the professor down and belabor him
with the same stick he had used on me, but the plan died stillborn.
Schillingschen bethought him of his hip-pocket, produced a repeating
pistol, and leveled it.

"Any nonsense, and I shoot you all!" he announced.

That ended the battle as far as we were concerned. We had no firearms.
Schillingschen wasted no time on explanations, but beckoned his Zulu
and walked off, striding at a great pace and only looking back over his
shoulder once or twice to make sure we were not in pursuit.

Fred and Will lent me an arm apiece and we followed slowly, I
recounting as fast as I could all that had happened, and they trying to
chaff me back into a sensible frame of mind.

"That was a decent dog!" I insisted. "He slept on my bed those nights
when I had fever!"

"I know it," Fred answered. "Will and I lay and scratched, while you
rested, with proper flea-food for protection! Don't worry, we'll find
you another dog!"

Schillingschen's consideration for my wound had vanished with the
chance of making use of me. As we emerged into the open we saw him in
the distance lolling in the hammock he had brought me in.

"Never mind!" grinned Will. "I'll bet the brute has an earache!"

"And teeth-ache!" added Fred.

"And I'll bet he has gone to prepare us a hot reception!" said I. "He
owns this town!"

But nothing happened immediately on our return into the town. Actually
Fred and Will had been outside township limits and could be arrested;
suspecting foul play as soon as they saw me with Schillingschen, they
had followed at once. They were as mystified as I when no swift
vengeance lit on them. We saw Schillingschen carried in the hammock up
the steep path leading to the commandant's house; but no one came down
again. After we got back to camp we spent all the rest of the day
waiting for the vengeance we felt sure was overdue, but none came.
Toward evening we even began to grow hopeful again and to talk about
the dhow. Fred and Will had examined it through field-glasses from the
top of the rock, and were optimistic 'regarding its size and general
condition.

"Even if it leaks rather badly," said Will, "we could reach some
island, and beach it there, and caulk it."

"