at decorated last, sir?" he asked.

"About six months before Sanders left," replied Hamilton in surprise;
"just why do you ask?"

"Nothing, sir," said Bones, and whistled light-heartedly. Then he
returned to the subject.

"I only asked you because I thought the enamel work in the cabin and all
that sort of thing has worn very well."

"Yes, it is good wearing stuff," said Hamilton.

"That green paint in the bathroom is rather _chic_, isn't it? Is that
good wearing stuff?"

"The enamel?" smiled Hamilton. "Yes, I believe that is very good
wearing. I am not a whale on domestic matters, Bones, but I should
imagine that it would last for another year without showing any sign of
wear."

"Is it waterproof at all?" asked Bones, after another pause.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean would it wash off if a lot of water were applied to it?"

"No, I should not imagine it would," said Hamilton, "what makes you
ask?"

"Oh, nothing!" said Bones carelessly and whistled, looking up to the
stars that were peeping from the sky; and the inside of Lieutenant
Tibbetts was one large expansive grin.

CHAPTER X

HENRY HAMILTON BONES

Lieutenant Francis Augustus Tibbetts of the Houssas was at some
disadvantage with his chief and friend. Lieutenant F. A. Tibbetts might
take a perfectly correct attitude, might salute on every possible
occasion that a man could salute, might click his heels together in the
German fashion (he had spent a year at Heidelberg), might be stiffly
formal and so greet his superior that he contrived to combine a dutiful
recognition with the cut direct, but never could he overcome one fatal
obstacle to marked avoidance--he had to grub with Hamilton.

Bones was hurt. Hamilton had behaved to him as no brother officer should
behave. Hamilton had spoken harshly and cruelly in the matter of a
commission with which he had entrusted his subordinate, and with which
the aforesaid subordinate had lamentably failed to cope.

Up in the Akasava country a certain wise man named M'bisibi had
predicted the coming of a devil-child who should be born on a night when
the moon lay so on the river and certain rains had fallen in the
forest.

And this child should be called "Ewa," which is death; and first his
mother would die and then his father; and he would grow up to be a
scourge to his people and a pestilence to his nation, and crops would
wither when he walked past them, and the fish in the river would float
belly