d not eat, however, and soon sank into restless sleep
again, and his companions sat disconsolately beside the fire as night
closed in. Their clothes were damp and splashed with mud, for they had
to cross a patch of very soft muskeg to gather wood among a clump of
rotting spruces. The wind was searching, the reeds clashed and rustled
drearily, and they could hear the splash of the ripples on a
neighbouring pool, It was all depressing, and as in turn they kept
watch in the darkness their hearts sank.

Next morning Blake, who made an attempt to get up, was obviously worse,
and though he insisted irritably that he would be all right again in a
day or two the others felt dubious.

"How often must I tell you that the thing will wear off?" he said.
"You needn't look so glum."

"I thought I was looking pretty cheerful," Harding objected with a
forced laugh. "Anyway, I've been working off my best stories for the
last hour, and I really think that one about the Cincinnati man----"

"It's located in half a dozen different places," Blake rejoined. "You
overdo the thing, and the way Benson grins at your threadbare jokes
would worry me if I were well. Do you suppose I'm a fool and don't
know what you think?" He raised himself on his elbow, speaking
angrily. "Try to understand that this is merely common malaria; I've
had it several times, and it seldom bothers you much when you're out of
the tropics. Why, Bertram--you've seen my cousin--was down with it a
week at Sandymere; temperature very high, old fool of a family doctor
looking serious and fussing. Then he got up all right one morning and
rode to hounds next day. Very good fellow, Bertram; so's his father.
If anybody speaks against my cousin, let him look out for me."

He paused and resumed with a vacant air: "Getting off the subject,
wasn't I? Can't think with this pain in my head and back, but don't
worry. Leave me alone; I'll soon be on my feet again."

Lying down, he turned away from them and they exchanged glances, for it
looked as if their comrade's brain were getting clouded. Blake, who
dozed part of the time, said nothing during the next few hours, and
late in the afternoon an Indian reached the camp. He carried a dirty
blue blanket and a few skins and was dressed in ragged white men's
clothes. In a few words of broken English he made them understand that
he was tired and short of food, and they gave him a meal. When he had
finished it, they fell into