o be
disillusioned. What you ought to have done, sir, is to describe me as a
sort of ass--genial and all that sort of thing, but a commonplace sort
of ass."

Hamilton nodded.

"That's exactly what I've done, Bones," he said. "I told her how Bosambo
did you in the eye for twenty pounds, and how you fell into the water
looking for buried treasure, and how the Isisi tried to sell you a
flying crocodile and would have sold it too, if it hadn't been for my
timely arrival. I told her----"

"I think you've said enough, sir."

Bones was very red and very haughty.

"Far be it from me to resent your attitude or contradict your calumnies.
Miss Hamilton will see very little of me. An inflexible sense of duty
will keep me away from the frivolous circle of society, sir. Alert an'
sleepless----"

"Trenches," said Hamilton brutally.

Bones winced, regarded his superior for a moment with pain, saluted, and
turning on his heel, stalked away, followed by Ali Abid no less pained.

He left at dawn the next morning, and both Sanders and Hamilton came
down to the concrete quay to see the _Zaire_ start on her journey.
Sanders gave his final instructions--

"If the woman is upsetting the people, arrest her; if she has too big a
hold on them, arrest her; but if she is just amusing them, come back."

"And don't forget the 17th," said Hamilton.

"I may arrive a little late for that," said Bones gravely. "I don't
wish to be a skeleton at your jolly old festive board, dear old
sportsman--you will excuse my absence to Miss Hamilton. I shall
probably have a headache and all that sort of thing."

He waved a sad farewell as the _Zaire_ passed round the bend of the
river, and looked, as he desired to look, a melancholy figure with his
huge pipe in his mouth and his hands thrust dejectedly into his trousers
pockets.

Once out of sight he became his own jovial self.

"Lieutenant Ali," he said, "get out my log and put it in old Sanders'
cabin, make me a cup of tea and keep her jolly old head east, east by
north."

"Ay, ay, sir," said Ali in excellent English.

The "log" which Bones kept was one of the secret documents which never
come under the eye of the superior authorities. There were such entries
as--

"Wind N.N.W. Sea calm. Hostile craft sighted on port bow, at 10.31
a.m. General Quarters sounded 10.32. Interrogated Captain of the
hostile craft and warned him not to fish in fair-way. Sighted Cape
M'Gooboori 1