en, and remained
standing beside the water until he had seen them safely embarked on
their return journey to the steamer. Then, without a word to us, he
turned himself about, crossed the beach, and carrying his beloved monkey
in his arms, began slowly to ascend the steep path which led to the high
land on which the village was situated. We did not, however, venture to
approach the place itself.

The remembrance of that strange night often returns to me now. In my
mind's eye I can see the squat figure of Pharos tramping on ahead,
Valerie following a few steps behind him, and myself bringing up the
rear, and all this with the brilliant stars overhead, the lights of the
village showing dimly across the sandhills to our right, and the
continuous murmur of the sea behind us.

For upwards of an hour we tramped on in this fashion, and in that time
scarcely covered a distance of four miles. Had it occurred at the
commencement of our acquaintance I should not have been able to
understand how Pharos, considering his age and infirm appearance, could
have accomplished even so much. Since then, however, I had been
permitted so many opportunities of noting the enormous strength and
vitality contained in his meagre frame that I was past any feeling of
wonderment. Valerie it was who caused me most anxiety. Only two days
before she had been stricken by the plague; yesterday she was still
confined to her cabin. Now here she was, subjected to intense excitement
and no small amount of physical exertion. Pharos must have had the same
thought in his mind, for more than once he stopped and inquired if she
felt capable of proceeding, and on one occasion he poured out for her
from a flask he carried in his pocket a small cupful of some fluid he
had doubtless brought with him for that purpose. At last the welcome
sight of a railway line came into view. It crossed the road, and as soon
as we saw it we stopped and took counsel together. The question for us
to consider was whether it would be wiser to continue our walk along the
high road, on the chance of its bringing us to a station, or whether we
should clamber up the embankment to the railway line itself, and follow
that along in the hope of achieving the same result. On the one side
there was the likelihood of our having to go a long way round, and on
the other the suspicion that might possibly be aroused in the minds of
the railway officials should we make an appearance at the station in
su