tomorrow and threw himself into a long chair. We talked and drank and talked. Towards evening when it was no longer hot we went for a long walk in the jungle and came back wet to the skin. We on talking straight through the night I was obliged to beg him to allow me to go to be as willing to go ook a bath, and then we dined I was tired out and though it was clear that my host w All right, I'll just come along to your room and see that everything s all right It was a large room with verandahs on two sides of it and a huge bed protected by mosquito netting The bed is rather hard. Do you mind? Not a bit. I shall sleep without rocking tonight My host looked at the bed thoughtfully It was a Dutchman who slept in it last. Do you want to hear a funny story? &n I wanted chiefly to go to bed, but he was my host, and then I know that it is hard to have an musing story to tell and find no listener He came on the boat that brought you here. He came into my office and asked me where he could find a place to stay for some time. I told him that if he hadn,'t anywhere to go I didn't mind putting him up. He jumped at the invitation. I told him to send for his luggage " This is an I've got, he said He held out a little shiny black bag. It seemed a bit scanty, but it was no business of mine, so I him to go to the bungalow and I would come as soon as I was through with my work. While I was speaking the door of my office was opened and my clerk came in. The Dutchman had his back to the door and it may be that my clerk opened it a bit suddenly. Anyhow, the Dutchman gave a shout, he What the hell are you doing? "I said When he saw it was the clerk, he collapsed. He leaned against the desk, breathing hard, and pon my word he was shaking as though he'd got fever I beg your pardon, he said. 'It's my nerves. My nerves are terrible It looks like it 'i said I was rather short with him. To tell you the truth I was sorry that I had asked him to stop with me. He didn, t look as though he'd been drinking a lot and I wondered if he was some fellow the police were after You'd better go and lie down, ' I said He went, and when I got back to my bungalow I found him sitting quite quietly, but very pright, on the verandah. He'd had a bath and shaved and put on clean things and he looked much Why are you sitting in the middle of the place like that? I asked him. You'll be much more comfortable in one of the long chairs I prefer to sit up, he said Queer, I thought But if a man in this heat prefers to sit up rather than lie down it's his own usiness. He wasn't much to look at, tall and heavily built, with a square head and close-cut hair. I think he was about forty. The thing that chiefly struck me about him was his expression. There was a look in his eyes, blue eyes they were and rather small, that I could not understand, and his face gave you the feeling that he was going to cry. He had a way of looking quickly over his left shoulder as though he thought he heard something. By God, he was nervous. But we had a couple of drinks and he began to talk. He spoke English very well; except for a slight accent you'd never have known that he was a foreigner, and I have to admit he was a good talker. He'd been everywhere and he'd read a great deal. It was a pleasure to listen to him We had three or four whiskies in the afternoon and a lot of gin later on, so that when dinner ame we were rather gay and l'd come to the conclusion that he was a damned good fellow. Of course we had a lot of whisky at dinner and I happened to have a bottle of Benedictine, so we had some liqueurs afterwards. I think we both got very drunk And at last he told me why he had come. It was a strange story My host stopped and looked at me with his mouth slightly open as though, remembering it he was struck again with its strangeness2 tomorrow, and threw himself into a long chair. We talked and drank and talked. Towards evening, when it was no longer hot we went for a long walk in the jungle and came back wet to the skin. We took a bath, and then we dined. I was tired out and though it was clear that my host was willing to go on talking straight through the night I was obliged to beg him to allow me to go to bed. "All right, I'll just come along to your room and see that everything's all right." It was a large room with verandahs on two sides of it and a huge bed protected by mosquito netting. "The bed is rather hard. Do you mind?" "Not a bit. I shall sleep without rocking tonight." My host looked at the bed thoughtfully. "It was a Dutchman who slept in it last. Do you want to hear a funny story?" I wanted chiefly to go to bed, but he was my host, and then I know that it is hard to have an amusing story to tell and find no listener. "He came on the boat that brought you here. He came into my office and asked me where he could find a place to stay for some time. I told him that if he hadn't anywhere to go I didn't mind putting him up. He jumped at the invitation. I told him to send for his luggage. ''This is an I've got,' he said. "He held out a little shiny black bag. It seemed a bit scanty, but it was no business of mine, so I told him to go to the bungalow and I would come as soon as I was through with my work. While I was speaking the door of my office was opened and my clerk came in. The Dutchman had his back to the door and it may be that my clerk opened it a bit suddenly. Anyhow, the Dutchman gave a shout, he jumped about two feet into the air and whipped out a revolver. '"What the hell are you doing?' I said. "When he saw it was the clerk, he collapsed. He leaned against the desk, breathing hard, and upon my word he was shaking as though he'd got fever. "'I beg your pardon,' he said. 'It's my nerves. My nerves are terrible.' "'It looks like it,' I said. "I was rather short with him. To tell you the truth I was sorry that I had asked him to stop with me. He didn't look as though he'd been drinking a lot and I wondered if he was some fellow the police were after. '"You'd better go and lie down,' I said. "He went, and when I got back to my bungalow I found him sitting quite quietly, but very upright, on the verandah. He'd had a bath and shaved and put on clean things and he looked much better. '"Why are you sitting in the middle of the place like that?' I asked him. 'You'll be much more comfortable in one of the long chairs.' "'I prefer to sit up,' he said. "Queer, I thought. But if a man in this heat prefers to sit up rather than lie down it's his own business. He wasn't much to look at, tall and heavily built, with a square head and close-cut hair. I think he was about forty. The thing that chiefly struck me about him was his expression. There was a look in his eyes, blue eyes they were and rather small, that I could not understand, and his face gave you the feeling that he was going to cry. He had a way of looking quickly over his left shoulder as though he thought he heard something. By God, he was nervous. But we had a couple of drinks and he began to talk. He spoke English very well; except for a slight accent you'd never have known that he was a foreigner, and I have to admit he was a good talker. He'd been everywhere and he'd read a great deal. It was a pleasure to listen to him. "We had three or four whiskies in the afternoon and a lot of gin later on, so that when dinner came we were rather gay and I'd come to the conclusion that he was a damned good fellow. Of course we had a lot of whisky at dinner and I happened to have a bottle of Benedictine, so we had some liqueurs afterwards. I think we both got very drunk. "And at last he told me why he had come. It was a strange story." My host stopped and looked at me with his mouth slightly open as though, remembering it now, he was struck again with its strangeness