The rustler., 1891-08-14

flsltf'a ttf a. = AaatANf win AAN AfAt
ehild
Two more days passed. and We pro
not.nccd our holiday . success. Then
Hammond siclxcncd Of fever or = sun
ssrolsc. could not determine which.
He became delirious and feared he
would die. must say the native For
masaIss. for all their savage look
they ,scrc all but naked In this part Of |
the i.land-werc very kind. They |
brought me various juices and simples, |
which they urged me 10 use upon the
invalid But / was afraid % do that !
/ preferred 10 rely upon cold sponging |
aud the quinine In our medicine chest.
On the seventh night Of his Illness, |
when he was 50 quiet and improved In
tone that I thought ! could leave him
in charge of Wan Tan. our little native
aide-dc-camp. and get a good sleep my
self was suddenly awakened by the
boy with the words: "lle has gone
True enough. Hammond had eyaded his
guard and run of into the woods in his
"pyjamas. ! was drcadfully alarmed.
Without loss Of time. however, the boy
and set out In pursuit: and after about
half an hour we caught him up as he
was returning with bent head and
puclxered brow. but looking as free
from delirium as man could
"why. my dear fellow" said, ''what
in the world led you 10 do so mad a
thing?r
Hammond gazed at me indifcrcntly
for a moment II was just As II he had
not yet got his senses fully after u bad
night Then. with good deal of ex-
citcment, he bade me congratulate him.
Upon whatP" | asked.
"Do you not remember" he replied,
show we two have talked about the
possible existence OF plants that move
from one spot toanother with the same
freedom as we conceited bipeds? Well,
I've solved that problem. They do
e exist. But / can't really can't
= make out satisfactorily whether they
a do IL by the exercise Of volition, or
e whether they are transported in spite
e of themselves It's not bit OF use
: troubling the British association ON
' the subject until we have settled that
Is it?n
: was half disposed To laugh at him
E when he said this. But the mysterious
and quite unusual kind of earnestness
d in his expression while he was speak
a ing not only deferred me, but even
T again made me feel uneasy about him.
II "YOu are not serious, llammond?' !
- said. And besides old fellow, it's
st very wrong of you 10 run away in this
Is fashion. Not to speak of the fright
a YOU gave me, you'll catch n chill, and
L we shall have that fever business all
II over again.
70 "Fevcr business What do you meanP'
, "Nhy, you know you have been i'll
10 and ou'rc not well yet; and so come
10 right along to bed again"
Is lie said nothing TO this. but allowed
ld the boy and me to take care of him.
IL must say he looked strange objec
wrapped up in the blue blanket whicl
s. | had seized for the purpose wheI
n we went after him, and especially
IN when the moon shone upon hin
ne through the teak trees of the forest
" The scurrying among the branche
ne overhead seemed to imply that tn
to monkeys also found him spectacl
as too strong for their nerves
- He was better in the afternoon an,
nd talked of the service and other matter
r. in perfectly rational manner
mt seems he had written to PelSin beggin
n. TO be removed from Annoy; and he dis
ed cussed the chances Of favorable r.
ID, ply to his letter nationally enough
ht though with Il disregard for the be
ut reavement that ! in that ease shoul
suffer which puzzled me- For he wa
Die naturally the most unscliish Of mcI
lin and he had over and over again said h
be would never leave Annoy without m'
an and that he would never he left in IL
I'd. was appointed vice consul elsewher,
Die Towards sunset he became excited.
on did not like the metallic glitter in h
he eye. II recalled to me in an ugly maj
N ner certain visit | had paid to Oh
he nese madhouse little time previousll
ne He was irritable, moreover and woul
I'm not let me touch his pulse. When
wanted him to come into the hut fC
the night he objected.
v mo, Randolph" he said, mot ii
the moon there also goes to bed in Il
antipodes. | particularly mean to
\ awake tonight"
IN "Why?" ! asked.
VII because ! am as sure as ! stan
Hll here that saw one last night, and
VII was when the moon was high. ] reck'
,ll IL went ut about the rate of yard
MI minute. mean TO secure It, and
81 should very much like to photograph
ll before nabbing IT,"
WI "What are you talking about,
lM ehapP" asked again, with the dism
III fear at my heart that the fever or su
vi stroke had affected his brain.
III "The creeping plant, Randolph.
N was as well as | could guess at 1t, nil
y feet long, with flowers all the way alor
= 1.-THE calyx a bright blue. | nev