Page:Rowland--The Mountain of Fears.djvu/75

  rather emphasized the nakedness beneath, flopped out of the house, holding her frock partly together with one hand, and asked what he wanted.

Schiedam and bitters—and bring a water-monkey,' he answered. Rather to my surprise, the wench did as she was bid, favoring me with a rather bold stare.

"It was intensely hot—just before the afternoon shower. We were sitting on the raised veranda of Meyers' house, and down below us the river oozed along, viscid and brown and sticky-looking, like molasses flowing out of a stove-in vat. The clouds were banking up black and forbidding on the other side of the stream, and occasionally a rumble of thunder reached us.

You do not know—do not understand,' said Meyers, finally. He raised one skinny, mottled hand to his red, untidy beard, which was getting gray around his muzzle, like an old collie, which, in fact, he somewhat resembled. 'Of course, you see the relationship.' [ 59 ]