Page:Rudyard Kipling - A diversity of creatures.djvu/165

Rh 'U,' said I. There was no other letter possible; but I was shaking too.

'I.'

'N.'

'T-i-n-g,' he ran out. 'There! That proves it. I knew you knew him. You don't know what a relief that is. Between ourselves, old man, he—he's been turning up lately a—a damn sight more often than I cared for. And a squinting dog—a dog that squints! I mean that's a bit too much. Eh? What?' He gulped and half rose, and I thought that the full tide of delirium would be on him in another sentence.

'Not a bit of it,' I said as a last chance, with my hand over the bellpush. 'Why, you've just proved that I know him; so there are two of us in the game, anyhow.'

'By Jove! that is an idea! Of course there are. I knew you'd see me through. We'll defeat them yet. Hi, pup! . . . He's gone. Absolutely disappeared!' He sighed with relief, and I caught the lucky moment.

'Good business! I expect he only came to have a look at me,' I said. 'Now, get this drink down and turn in to the lower bunk.'

He obeyed, protesting that he could not inconvenience me, and in the midst of apologies sank into a dead sleep. I expected a wakeful night, having a certain amount to think over; but no sooner had I scrambled into the top-bunk than sleep came on me like a wave from the other side of the world.

In the morning there were apologies, which