Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/57

 “Come! Let us get on,” he exclaimed. “There’s mischief in yonder clouds. We have no time to waste.”

We now hurried through the village, pausing for a moment to see if we could catch a glimpse of some of the cowardly inhabitants, and gain a word of information about the path back to Angkor.

“No go,” said the Doctor. “We shan’t find ’em. Anyhow, this is nothing but a wood-cutters’ camp, probably belonging to some of the people in Siamrap.”

None of the villagers were to be seen, and, still discussing our adventure, we now retraced our steps through the jungle. Darkness was rapidly approaching, and there was no time to be lost.

But our discussion left us where we started—nowhere.

Maurice and I had depended upon the Doctor to enlighten us. The dependence proved futile. The Doctor had no suggestion to offer.

“More of your mysterious people, Wylde,” he said in his usual half-sneering way. “We shall have to hold you responsible for the whole business. Gad, boys, but she was a little beauty! If I had dreamed that our acquaintance would be so brief, I should certainly have stayed by her. Now De Veber gets all the glory, and”

“And the shawl!” broke in Maurice. “Take it if you want it. I acknowledge you as the rescuer of the fair one. Why, even George was more active than I, and yet I have reaped the reward.”

“Nonsense! What do I want of your shawl, but I will be tolerably obliged to you for a cheroot. I understand the whole business. It was your good looks that did it, De Veber. Alongside of a Yankee Apollo, what chance could two old birds like Wylde and myself hope to stand?”

Coming from one of his cloth, there was something intolerably repulsive to me in these flippant remarks. Yet why should that have influenced me? I had abjured the man’s creed, I despised his profession, I had laughed when he made light of it, and yet now I seemed to demand of him a greater delicacy of thought, a purity of sentiment than possessed by the average man, although I had put him down for an average man and nothing more.

It grew darker, and darker, and yet the sun must have still been there behind the clouds, for twilight is a thing unknown in Siam. Now the whole heavens were obscured, and