er to Sanders, from Sanders to her
miserable custodian.

"What on earth----" began Hamilton.

Then her lips twitched and she fell into a fit of uncontrollable
laughter.

"If," said Bones huskily, "if in an excess of zeal I mistook... in the
gloamin', madame ... white dress...."

He spread out his arms in a gesture of extravagant despair.

"I can do no more than a gentleman.... I have a loaded revolver in my
cabin ... farewell!"

He bowed deeply to the girl, saluted his dumbfounded chief, tripped up
over a bucket and would have fallen but for Hamilton's hand.

"You're an ass," said Hamilton, struggling to preserve his sense of
annoyance. "Pat--this is Lieutenant Tibbetts, of whom I have often
written."

The girl looked at Bones, her eyes moist with laughter.

"I guessed it from the first," she said, and Bones writhed.

CHAPTER II

BONES CHANGES HIS RELIGION

Captain Hamilton of the King's Houssas had two responsibilities in life,
a sister and a subaltern.

The sister's name was Patricia Agatha, the subaltern had been born
Tibbetts, christened Augustus, and named by Hamilton in his arbitrary
way, "Bones."

Whilst sister and subaltern were separated from one another by some
three thousand miles of ocean--as far, in fact, as the Coast is from
Bradlesham Thorpe in the County of Hampshire--Captain Hamilton bore his
responsibilities without displaying a sense of the burden.

When Patricia Hamilton decided on paying a visit to her brother she did
so with his heartiest approval, for he did not realize that in bringing
his two responsibilities face to face he was not only laying the
foundation of serious trouble, but was actually engaged in erecting the
fabric.

Pat Hamilton had come and had been boisterously welcomed by her brother
one white-hot morning, Houssas in undress uniform lining the beach and
gazing solemnly upon Militini's riotous joy. Mr. Commissioner Sanders,
C.M.G., had given her a more formal welcome, for he was a little scared
of women. Bones, as we know, had not been present--which was unfortunate
in more ways than one.

It made matters no easier for the wretched Bones that Miss Hamilton was
an exceedingly lovely lady. Men who live for a long time in native lands
and see little save beautiful figures displayed without art and with
very little adornment, are apt to regard any white woman with regular
features as pretty, when the vision comes to them after a long interval
spent amids