, ma'am, there's no flies on jolly old Bones--not on your life,
Harriet!'"

"Then they would be very impertinent," smiled Pat.

"Ask Sanders (God bless him!). Ask Ham. Ask----" he was going on
enthusiastically.

"Are you going to camp here, or are you coming in?" she challenged.

Bones gathered up his belongings, never ceasing to talk.

"Fellers like me, dear young friend, make the Empire--paint the whole
bally thing red, white an' blue--'unhonoured an' unsung, until the
curtain's rung, the boys that made the Empire and the Navy.'"

"Bones, you promised you wouldn't sing," she said reproachfully; "and,
besides, you're not in the navy."

"That doesn't affect the argument," protested Bones, and was rapidly
shedding his equipment in preparation for another discourse, when she
walked on towards Sanders who had come across the square to meet them.

Bones made a dive at the articles he had dropped, and came prancing (no
other word describes his erratic run) up to Sanders.

"I've just been telling Miss Hamilton, sir and Excellency, that nobody
can find things that old Bones--you'll remember, sir, the episode of
your lost pyjama legs. Who found 'em?"

"You did," said Sanders; "they were sent home in your washing. Talking
about finding things, read this."

He handed a telegraph form to the young man, and Bones, peering into the
message until his nose almost touched the paper, read--

"Very urgent. Clear the line. Administration.

"To Sanders, Commission River Territories. Message begins. Belgian
Congo Government reports from Leopoldville, Bacteriological
Expedition carriers raided on edge of your territory by Inner
N'gombi people, all stores looted including case of 20 culture
tubes. Stop. As all these cultures are of virulent diseases,
inoculate Inner N'gombi until intact tubes recovered. Message
ends."

Bones read it twice, and his face took on an appearance which indicated
something between great pain and intense vacancy. It was intended to
convey to the observer the fact that Bones was thinking deeply and
rapidly, and that he had banished from his mind all the frivolities of
life.

"I understand, sir--you wish me to go to the dear old Congo Government
and apologize--I shall be ready in ten minutes."

"What I really want you to do," said Sanders patiently, "is to take the
_Wiggle_ up stream and get that box."

"I quite understand, sir," said Bones, nodding his head.