her father, who kept “firing words at us,” as Maurice expressed it, which of course were wholly unintelligible.
“Yes, yes, it’s all right!” said Maurice, nodding good naturedly. “Much obliged—never forget us, and all that sort of thing. We understand.”
Suddenly the old fellow made a dart off among the palms and vanished.
“Great heavens! is he going to leave the girl on our hands?” cried Maurice, in evident alarm. But before we had time to discuss it there he was back again, carrying in his arms a rawhide pack which he flung upon the ground at Maurice’s feet. Still chattering, he loosened the straps and opening the pack drew out a loose, cotton garment, blue in color and fashioned something like the native pajama, which he proceeded to throw over the shoulders of the girl who, with downcast eyes, stood quietly by his side.
Now he bent over the pack again and took out a large camel’s hair shawl of exquisite pattern and laid it over Maurice’s arm with a profound salaam.
“That’s for you!” said I. “See what you get for your share in this business.”
“But I don’t want it! I’m no more entitled to it than you are, George! What in the world am I to do with the thing?”
Indeed, he would have returned the gift, but the old man either could not or would not comprehend.
Salaaming again, this time including both of us, he hastily closed the pack, slung it upon his shoulders, and taking the girl by the hand tottered off among the palms.
Was she actually going? Again those ridiculous sensations seemed to seize me. I longed to rush forward to drag her back, but I restrained myself, disgusted at my own thoughts which not for worlds would I have had Maurice know. “We ought to stop them—we ought to know more of this matter;” was all I could trust myself to say.
“Why?” asked Maurice, indifferently. “We’ve done all that could be expected of us, George. Let them go their way. Hello! Here’s the Doctor back at last, and its about time, I must say.”
I turned to look. Philpot was approaching from the direction of the huts. When my gaze reverted toward the forest again it was only to get a last glimpse of that singular pair disappearing among the palms, hand in hand.
