The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-07-30
1se troubling the British Association

was half disposed to laugh at him
when he said this. But the mysteri-
Gus and quiet unusual kind ofearnest-
ness in his expression while he was
speaking not only deferred me,
easy about him. "You are not
serious, Hammond" I said. "And
besides, old fellow, it's very wrong OF
you to run away in this fashion. Not
to speak Of the fright you gave me,
you'll catch chill, and we shall have
that fever business all over again.
"Fever business! What do you
mean?"
"Why, you know you have been ILL.,,
and you're not we'll yet; and so come
right along to bed again"
He said nothing to this, but allowed
the boy and, me to take care OF him. l
must say he looked strange object
wrapped up in the blue blanket which
I had seized for the purpose when we
went after him, and especially when
the moon shone upon him through the
teak trees OF the forest. The scurry-
ing among the branches overhead
seemed to imply that the monkeys
also found him spectacle too strong
for their nerves. ~. 49,. --... q.
He was better in the afternoon, and
talked Of the service and other mat
tiers in a perfectly rational manner.
1t seems he had written to Pekin, beg
ging to be removed from Annoy; and
he discussed the chances Of q favorable
reply to his letter nationally enough,
though with q disregard for the be-
reavement that [ in that case should
suffer puzzled me. For he was natur-
ally the most unselfish OF men and he
had over and over again said he would
never leave Annoy without me, and
that he would never be left in it if I was
appointed vice-consul elsewhere.
Toward sunset he became excited. I
did not like the metallic glitter in his
eye. 1t recalled to me in an ugly man
ner a certain visit I had paid to a
Chinese madhouse a little time pre-
viously. He was irritable, moreover,
and would not let me touch his pulse.
When l wanted him to come into the
hut for the night, he objected.
mo, Randolph" he said, mot till
the moon there also goes to bed in the
antipodes. particularly mean to be
awake tonight"
"Why?" asked.
because I am as sure as I stand
here that I saw one last night, and it
was when the moon was high. Ireckon
it went at about the rate of a yard a
minute. | mean to secure it; and l
should very much like to photograph
it before nabbing it.
"What are you talking about, old
chap" I asked again, with the dis
NAL fear at my heart that the fever or
sunstroke had affected his brain.
"The creeping plant, Randolph. It
was as we'll as could guess at it
nine feet long, with flowers all the
way along 1.-THE calyx a bright blue.
[ never saw anything so odd since I
was born. Do you know, I almost
lost my senses in sort OF excitement
over it; and I suppose it got away in
the mean time, for when I tried to
find it again, couldn't!'
| could only stare at him in Devil
derment. He was certainly not Joking;
and yet the idea OF a plant Of this
description was to my unobservant
intelligence, perfectly ridiculous.
But poor Hammond did not like
my incredulous look. "You don't
believe me. | seeu' he exclaimed pet
tlshly. "Ihat's ever the way with
you practical fellows. lam thankful
I'm not practical. Anyhow, too,
mean to get it this night alive or
dead-that's a clear thing"
"No, no; please don't think of it,"
I entreated. "Wait till you're a. bit
stronger, and then if you like, we'll do
else but hunt this crawling
beanstalk, or whatever it is"
81 am as strong as ever I was, if I
may Judge by my feelings, and so you
may as well make up your mind to
my going. Remember; Randolph,
that I'm your senior in the service,
and | won't put up with dictation
from you or any other man of your
time OF life."
could only shrug my shoulders,
and suggested to him as casually as
possible that of course l had no right
to interfere with his movements, but
that for his own sake he ought not to
go Off in 'byjamas' again, as he did
before.
Eyes, that was indiscreet," the dear
old fellow observed with smile.
We humored him for the rest of the
evening, and at length he fell asleep in
his bamboo couch-chair, and we COW
cred him lightly and arranged the
curtains to protect him as
much as possible. =,
But [ had no intention of going to
bed. Somehow Or other, I fancied he
would wake and start off into the
woods, just as he had done before.
At the back of my mind I confess, too,
there was a thin phantom of curiosity
about the shape nine feet long, with
flowers upon it, which had fitted so
well with Hammond's ideal of a creep
ing plant.
Accordingly lit my pipe and read
the North China Herald until I began
to feel drowsy. The paper had drop
ped from my hands, and I was pond
ering weakly about the likelihood of
some good-natured senior in the
service resolving to retire or die for
the good OF his juniors, when 1 heard
a rustling. My eyes opened sharply.
Yes,it was as, with electrical prompt
itude, | had surmised-H Hammond
was bolt upright, staring at the moon.