id Berry, "that Mr. Dunkelsbaum did expect the car to be
waiting at the top of the hill. What he said when he found that the
road, which we could see for about five furlongs, was unoccupied, I
shall try to forget. Suffice it that he perspired with great freedom,
and for a long time appeared to be afflicted with an impediment in his
speech. Occasionally he addressed me in Patagonian, but since the only
words I could remember were _schloss_, _ausgang_ and _bahnhof_, my
replies, judging from their reception, were unsatisfactory and
sometimes, I grieve to think, even irrelevant.

"Presently I suggested that we should return for his boot. For this he
sought, whilst I detained Nobby. I had recommended that the latter's
services should be employed in the search, but the bare suggestion
provoked such a shocking outburst of profanity that I said no more.
When, after exploring the undergrowth for nearly half an hour, he
suddenly descried his footgear lodged in the branches of a neighbouring
ash, Mr. Dunkelsbaum's behaviour gave me cause to fear for his reason.
My theory that some dim-sighted fowl must have mistaken the truant for a
piece of refuse met with a furious dismissal, and, from the perfectly
poisonous stare with which he declined my offer of assistance to secure
his quarry, I was forced to the conclusion that he associated me with
its elevation. This discovery caused me much pain, but the rude man was
soon to pay dearly for his foul suspicion. True, he got it down: but it
seemed as if the ravages of wear and tear, to say nothing of its
immersion, had heavily discounted the value of the boot as an article of
wearing apparel, for, after several agonized endeavours to replace it
upon his foot, Mr. Dunkelsbaum screamed, flung it down, spat upon it,
and offered up what I took to be a short prayer for immediate death.

"After this horrible exhibition of temper, I felt that no useful purpose
could be served by remaining within sight or earshot of the abandoned
creature, so I released the terrier and made ready to depart.

"'Herr Splodgenblunk,' I said, 'I must now leave you. Should you be
still anxious to arrive at Bloat, you cannot do better than----'

"He interrupted me with a terrible cry.

"'I vos neffer vant to 'ave arrive at Bloat!'

"'But you said----'

"'No! No!' he raved. 'It vos _Brrrooch_, I 'ave say--_Brrrooch_!'

"I affected the utmost surprise.

"'Oh, Brooch. Why, we came miles out of our way. Brooch is o