Stella said, "get to bed, and I will bring you some of Tommy's
quinine."

She turned from him, revolver in hand, but paused and in a moment turned
back.

"Captain Monck, you heard what I said, didn't you? You will go straight
to bed?"

Her voice held a hint of pleading, despite its insistence. He
straightened himself in his chair. He was still looking at her with an
odd wonder in his eyes--wonder that was mixed with a very unusual touch
of reverence.

"I will do--whatever you wish," he said.

"Thank you," said Stella. "Then please let me find you in bed when I
come back!"

She turned once more to go, went to the door and opened it. From the
threshold she glanced back.

He was on his feet, gazing after her with the eyes of a man in a
trance.

She lifted her hand. "Now remember!" she said, and with that passed
quietly out, closing the door behind her.

Her brain was in a seething turmoil and her heart was leaping within her
like a wild thing suddenly caged. But, very strangely, all fear had
departed from her.

Only a brief interval before, she had found herself wishing that the
decision of her life's destiny had not rested entirely with herself. It
seemed to her that a great revelation had been vouchsafed between the
amazing present and those past moments of troubled meditation. And she
knew now that it did not.

CHAPTER VII

SERVICE RENDERED

The news that Monck was down with the fever brought both the Colonel and
Major Ralston early to the bungalow on the following morning.

They found Stella and the ever-faithful Peter in charge of both
patients. Tommy was better though weak. Monck was in a high fever and
delirious.

Stella was in the latter's room, for he would not suffer her out of his
sight. She alone seemed to have any power to control him, and Ralston
noted the fact with astonishment.

"There's some magic about you," he observed in his blunt fashion. "Are
you going to take on this job? It's no light one but you'll probably do
it better than any one else."

It was a tacit invitation, and Stella knowing how widespread was the
sickness that infected the station, accepted it without demur.

"It rather looks as if it were my job, doesn't it?" she said. "I am
willing, anyway to do my best."

Ralston looked at her with a gleam of approval, but the Colonel drew her
aside to remonstrate.

"It's not fit for you. You'll be ill yourself. If Ralston weren't nearly
at his wit's end he'd nev