oded Saunders, smiting the table mightily.
"He's too damned uppish anyhow. He needs taking down--"

"Ah, Selim," interrupted the Enemy, as the native boy entered, "no mail,
eh?"

"No, excellency, the ship is not due to arrive for two weeks."

"Ah, but, Selim, you forget that I am expecting a letter from Von
Blitz's wives. They promised to let me know how soon he is able to
resume work at the mines."

"I hear you polished him off neatly," said Britt, with a grin.

"Just the rough edges, Mr. Britt. He is now a gem of purest ray serene.
By the way, I hope you'll not take my mild suggestions amiss."

"There's nothing I object to except your power to call strikes among our
servants. That seems to me to be rather high-handed," said Britt
good-naturedly.

"No doubt you're right," agreed the other, "but you must remember that I
needed the cigarettes."

"My word!" muttered Saunders admiringly.

"Look here, old man," said Britt, his cheeks glowing, "it's mighty good
of you to take this trouble for----"

"Don't mention it. I'd only ask in return that we three be a little more
sociable hereafter. We're not here to cut each other's throats, you
know, and we've got a deadly half year ahead of us. What say?"

For answer the two lawyers arose and shook hands with the excellent
Enemy. When they started for the chateau at seven o'clock, each with six
mint juleps about his person, they were too mellow for analysis. The
Enemy, who had drunk but little, took an arm of each and piloted them
sturdily through the town.

"I'd walk up to the chateau if I were you," he said, when they clamoured
for a jinriksha apiece. "It will help pass away the time."

"By Jove," said Saunders, hunting for the Enemy's hand. "I'm going to
'nform L-Lord Deppingham that he's 'nsufferable ass an'--an' I don't
care who knows it."

"Saunders," said Britt, with rare dignity, "take your hand out of my
pocket."

CHAPTER XI

THE SLOUGH OF TRANQUILLITY

Three months stole by with tantalising slowness. How the strangers on
the island of Japat employed those dull, simmering, idle weeks it would
not be difficult to relate. There was little or no incident to break the
monotony of their enforced residence among the surly Japatites; the same
routine obtained from day to day. Sultry, changeless, machine-like were
those hundred days and nights. They looked forward with hopeful, tired
eyes; never backward. There was nothing behind them but a dour was