have been recorded. He was wholly
preoccupied by the novelty which the presence of Patricia Hamilton
offered. Never before had a white woman made her home at the Residency,
and it changed things a little.

She was at times an embarrassment.

When Fubini, the witch-doctor of the Akasava, despatched five maidens to
change Sandi's wicked heart--Sanders had sent Fubini to the Village of
Irons for six months for preaching unauthorized magic--they came, in the
language of Bones, "doocedly undressed," and Patricia had beaten a
hurried retreat.

She was sometimes an anxiety, as I have already shown, but was never a
nuisance. She brought to headquarters an aroma of English spring, a
clean fragrance that refreshed the heat-jaded Commissioner and her
brother, but which had no perceptible influence upon Bones.

That young officer called for her one hot morning, and Hamilton,
sprawling on a big cane chair drawn to the shadiest and breeziest end of
the verandah, observed that Bones carried a wooden box, a drawing-board,
a pad of paper, two pencils imperfectly concealed behind his large ear,
and a water-bottle.

"Shop!" said Hamilton lazily. "Forward, Mr. Bones--what can we do for
you this morning?"

Bones shaded his eyes and peered into the cool corner.

"Talkin' in your sleep, dear old Commander," he said pleasantly,
"dreamin' of the dear old days beyond recall."

He struck an attitude and lifted his unmusical voice--

"When life was gay, heigho!
Tum tum te tay, heigho!
Oh, tiddly umpty humpty umty do,
When life was gay--dear old officer--heigho!"

Patricia Hamilton stepped out to the verandah in alarm.

"Oh, please, don't make that hooting noise," she appealed to her
brother. "I'm writing----"

"Don't be afraid," said Hamilton, "it was only Bones singing. Do it
again, Bones, Pat didn't hear you."

Bones stood erect, his hand to his white helmet.

"Come aboard, my lady," he said.

"I won't keep you a minute, Bones," said the girl, and disappeared into
the house.

"What are you doing this morning?" asked Hamilton, gazing with
pardonable curiosity at the box and drawing-board.

"Polishin' up my military studies with Miss Hamilton's kind
assistance--botany and applied science, sir," said Bones briskly. "Field
fortifications, judgin' distance, strategy, Bomongo grammar, field
cookery an' tropical medicines."

"What has poor little making-up-company-accounts done?" asked Hamilton,
and Bones b