attitude
towards Mr. Jones had undergone a spiritual change, of which he himself
was not yet fully aware.

That morning, before tiffin, after his escape from the Heyst bungalow,
completed in such an inspiring way by the recovery of the slipper,
Ricardo had made his way to their allotted house, reeling as he ran,
his head in a whirl. He was wildly excited by visions of inconceivable
promise. He waited to compose himself before he dared to meet the
governor. On entering the room, he found Mr. Jones sitting on the camp
bedstead like a tailor on his board, cross-legged, his long back against
the wall.

"I say, sir. You aren't going to tell me you are bored?"

"Bored! No! Where the devil have you been all this time?"

"Observing--watching--nosing around. What else? I knew you had company.
Have you talked freely, sir?"

"Yes, I have," muttered Mr. Jones.

"Not downright plain, sir?"

"No. I wished you had been here. You loaf all the morning, and now you
come in out of breath. What's the matter?"

"I haven't been wasting my time out there," said Ricardo. "Nothing's the
matter. I--I--might have hurried a bit." He was in truth still panting;
only it was not with running, but with the tumult of thoughts and
sensations long repressed, which had been set free by the adventure of
the morning. He was almost distracted by them now. He forgot himself in
the maze of possibilities threatening and inspiring. "And so you had a
long talk?" he said, to gain time.

"Confound you! The sun hasn't affected your head, has it? Why are you
staring at me like a basilisk?"

"Beg pardon, sir. Wasn't aware I stared," Ricardo apologized
good-humouredly. "The sun might well affect a thicker skull than mine.
It blazes. Phew! What do you think a fellow is, sir--a salamander?"

"You ought to have been here," observed Mr. Jones.

"Did the beast give any signs of wanting to prance?" asked Ricardo
quickly, with absolutely genuine anxiety. "It wouldn't do, sir. You must
play him easy for at least a couple of days, sir. I have a plan. I have
a notion that I can find out a lot in a couple of days."

"You have? In what way?"

"Why, by watching," Ricardo answered slowly.

Mr Jones grunted.

"Nothing new, that. Watch, eh? Why not pray a little, too?"

"Ha, ha, ha! That's a good one," burst out the secretary, fixing Mr.
Jones with mirthless eyes.

The latter dropped the subject indolently.

"Oh, you may be certain of at least two days," he s