Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-15


ship as Nick was.
His voice heavy with defeat the young man
asked: where's Scrap?"
He caught the others hesitancy at that,
and turned back sharply. Byfeld's express
sion was guarded, his tone measured.
more bad news for you, my boy he said.
"Your dog went in after you. Pulled under
so the men say. I didn't see it myself"
Nck,s voice was fiat with shock pulled
under?'
Current or crocs. You were lucky to get
across twice"
THERE was noise in Nick's ears like the
beginning of landslide. Rumblings and
gratings. Thickly, you're liar, ByhelSi" he
choked out IT heard my dog in the night"
The major faced him, boring into him with
his hard glance
"See here, Nick my lad, you are tired. and
you are hard hit-twice hit; but you can't call
me a liar. It's not my idea of conversation.
Pull yourself together. What d'you mean
anyway"
Il heard a dog in the night" said Nick
slowly
"Oh, you heard dog in the night! Well.
what does that prove? There are dogs in
Africa, plenty of them at the villages back
of us"
"Who saw him pulled under?"
Byfield looked about. "Some of the men, I.
dare say. It was HaSsan told me-
"I'I talk to Hassan."
"Hes gone-I sent him on to Irumu with q
barua to the Belgian officials there Since this
was no go, thought I'd have a try at pros
pecting, if the Belgians will stake me to safari
told them they could catch me at the cross
ing, if they wanted to take me on"
Thouo &c oy,1x ana for tive
san was to have the official there-Le Roo.
isn't it?-telephone on my request. They might
not be able to make up their minds in time,
but no harm in trying"
II see,' Nick mumbled the words and
walked away. He told himself that it was
plausible enough, probably was true, but he
couldn't bring himself to apologize to Byfield.
Every nerve was on edge. He scented falsity
there, guardedness. Yet he might be mis-
taken. He might be off his head with heat
and anger He hadn't shred of evidence to
go on-only that dogs cry in the night. But
he was convinced in every fiber of his feel
ing, that HasSan had been up to some dirty
trick-had vented his spite in some way before
leaving.
Scrap dead It didn't bear thinking
about. The most loyal companion man ever
had!
Dinner was a sorry business of stiff ciyility.
on his part, of restrained forbearance in the.
others manner 1t was not till the end of it
that he noticed Byfield's use of his fork. and
appreciated the presence of a bandage about
his left hand
How'd you hurt yourself?" he inquired.
The Major looked casually down at his hand.
"That? Cut myself with beastly tin-yOu
know how those internal things bleed"
Looks to me as if it was infected" Nick
noticed now the puffiness of the hand and
streaks of redness showing through the dark
brown OF the skin. isn't your wrist swelling?"
seems TO be- little Soaked it in hot
water awhile before dinner and think I'll
try again. No use taking chances"
ANY permanganate?"
None. Hot water will do the trick"
While the cook was bringing the basin the
Major unwound the bandage and studied his
hand-a sharp shallow cut ran across it. Nick
saw now the whole hand was badly swelled.
and the flesh red and sullen-looking His dis
trust OF the man seemed to annihilate any
true sympathy and he was too sincere to at
tempt to feign concern he did not feel, but
he forced himself to a decent speech.
Il think it's poisoned-you ought to have
some antiseptic. Does it throb?"
HAS all day"
He took it pluckily-Nick never denied the
mans nerve. As if dismissing it. Byfield went
on: You'll have to share my tent-yours wns
In the canoe, unluckily for you. Good thing
your cot was not"
To have to share the tent with him. cooped
up IN hateful proximity, breathing the same
air! But there was no way out of it.
curious instinct in Nick kept him from
undressing, He accounted for it by the need
OF getting up in the night, if the others hand
grew worse.
Worse 1t undeniably grew. Across the nars
row space that separated them he could hean
Byfeld turning and tossing On the how tba+
served as table between the cots a candle in a
bottle burned beside the basin of water in which
Byheld plunged his hand from time to time.
and when he raised himself to do this Nick
could see his shadow on the tent wall.
Sometimes he himself got up to heat mora