was dead, Li Ho," he said.

In the half light the inscrutable face changed ever so little.

"Li Ho no let," said the Chinaman simply. "You better now, p'laps?" he
went on. "We go catch honor-able Boss before missy wake." Spence
nodded. He felt extraordinarily tired. But it seemed that tiredness did
not matter, would never matter. The empty world had become warm and
small again. Desire was safe.

Together he and Li Ho slid and scrambled down the mountain's face, by
ways known only to Li Ho. And there, on a strip of beach left clean and
wet by the receding tide, they found the dead man. Beside him, and
twisted beneath, lay the green umbrella.

"How did it really happen, Li Ho?" asked Spence. Not that he expected
any information.

"Moon-devil velly mad," said Li Ho. "Honorable Boss no watch step.
Moon-devil push--too bad!"

"And the fight in the kitchen? And on the trail?"

Li Ho shook his head.

"No fight anywhere," he said blandly.

"And this long rip in your coat?"

"Too much old coat--catch 'um in bush," said Li Ho.

So when they lifted the body and it was found that the arm beneath the
torn coat was useless, Spence said nothing. And somehow they managed to
carry the dead man home.

It was dawn when they laid him down. Birds were already beginning to
twitter in the trees. Desire would be waking soon. The world was going
to begin all over presently. Spence laid his hand gently on the
Chinaman's injured arm.

"You saved her, Li Ho," he said. "It is a big debt for one man to owe
another."

The Chinaman said nothing. He was looking at the dead face--a curious
lost look.

"He velly good man one time," said Li Ho. "All same before moon-devil
catch 'um."

"You stayed with him a long time, Li Ho. You were a good friend."

Li Ho blinked rapidly, but made no reply.

"Will you come with us, Li Ho?" The inscrutable, oriental eyes looked
for a moment into the frank eyes of the white man and then passed by
them to the open door--to the dawn just turning gold above the sea. The
uninjured hand rose and fell in an indescribable gesture.

"Li Ho go home now!"

The words seemed to flutter out like birds into some vast ocean of
content.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

Desire was waking. She had slept without a dream and woke wonderingly
to the shadows of dancing leaves upon the white canvas above her. It
was a long time since she had slept in a tent--a lifetime. She felt
very drowsy and stupid. The brooding sense o