acked his whip and whistled,
and the horses trotted inland over a fine shell road which was to lead
us across Verbena Junction to Citron City. Half an hour later we
crossed the tracks at Verbena and turned into a broad marl road. This
aroused me from my deep and speculative reverie, and after a few
moments I asked Miss Barrison's indulgence and read the letter from
Professor Farrago which Mr. Rowan had given me:

"DEAR MR. GILLAND,--You now know all I dared not write,
fearing to bring a swarm of explorers about my ears in case
the letter was lost, and found by unscrupulous meddlers. If
you still are willing to volunteer, knowing all that I know,
join me as soon as possible. If family considerations deter
you from taking what perhaps is an insane risk, I shall not
expect you to join me. In that event, return to New York
immediately and send Kingsley.

"Yours, F."

"What the deuce is the matter with him!" I exclaimed, irritably. "I'll
take any chances Kingsley does!"

Miss Barrison looked up in surprise.

"Miss Barrison," I said, plunging into the subject headfirst, "I'm
extremely sorry, but I have news that forces me to believe the journey
too dangerous for you to attempt, so I think that it would be much
better--" The consternation in her pretty face checked me.

"I'm awfully sorry," I muttered, appalled by her silence.

"But--but you engaged me!"

"I know it--I should not have done it. I only--"

"But you did engage me, didn't you?"

"I believe that I did--er--oh, of course--"

"But a verbal contract is binding between honorable people, isn't it,
Mr. Gilland?"

"Yes, but--"

"And ours was a verbal contract; and in consideration you paid me my
first week's salary, and I bought shirt-waists and a short skirt and
three changes of--and tooth-brushes and--"

"I know, I know," I groaned. "But I'll fix all that."

"You can't if you break your contract."

"Why not?"

"Because," she said, flushing up, "I should not accept."

"You don't understand--"

"Really I do. You are going into a dangerous country and you're afraid
I'll be frightened."

"It's something like that."

"Tell me what are the dangers?"

"Alligators, big, bitey snakes--"

"Oh, you've said all that before!"

"Seminoles--"

"And that too. What else is there? Did the young man in the sun-helmet
tell you of something worse?"

"Yes--much worse! Something so dreadfully horrible that--"