Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 177: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~- The Tree of Life - 367 | } as voice calling, but—but, thought I was dreaming.” “J understand,” said the doctor quietly. “One gets rather ratty after a while. “Begin to see things if you’re not careful. Er—'r’ you camping near here?” i “Ves,” assented the doctor. ‘Down at Basa-something’s village, wherever that is. _ I was out shooting, y’know, and got lost.” “Oh yes.” As he stole a glance at the man, a black _ sleeve crept out, and a hand lightly touched his arm. Involuntarily the doctor started. Yet he had noticed that the hand was well _ kept, the nails polished. There was silence for some minutes: The forest murmured and eee: and wept. Yet the sinister note was missing to the doc- it, 2 § tor’s ears. Twice he glanced up at the © bearded gaunt face. The mam continued to stare almost like a yokel gawping at a circus fat lady.. The doctor was embar- rassed. A thousand questions leaped to his mind, : “Er,” he broke out at length. - “I wonder _ whether you have such a thing as a glass of water? I’m simply parched.” Dukely leaped from his chair as if gal- vanized. “Certainly, certainly!”’ he muttered. “I’m an awful rotter!” and he disappeared into the hut to emerge with a calabash of water. _ “Qh, thanks very much!” The doctor hesitated, glanced at the hut and up at the tall man in evening dress. He fumbled at his hip pocket. “Um. I—you don’t mind if I—do you care for whisky?” “Whisky!”’ echoed Dukely. _The eyes __ brightened at the glint of a silver flask and were masked politely. “Good God, I * haven’t tasted whisky for—oh thanks!”’ He almost grabbed, swallowed at a gulp, : — a — the tot of spirit which the doctor had prof- erred in the screw-cap; then he gasped, shak- _ ing his head at the calabash. The doctor took __ his share and a deep drink of water. As he _ placed the calabash on the ground beside him, the man sat down slowly and fell to _ gazing at his visitor again without speaking, _ “Good God,” thought the doctor, “‘is he _ going to stare at me all night?” . “Er—by the way,” said he desperately, have you—are you staying here long?” _ The man started and seemed to shiver. He said slowly— | “Well, I’m going to be married in a day or *“ . oot et a Ne 2S * - 2 . ' = * te o - = I ie “Oh, yes, ah, of course,” assented the doc- tor politely. “T’m the King of the Wood, y’know.” “Oh, yes, yes,’ ejaculated the doctor as he thought, ‘“My God, he’s as mad asa hatter.” Vv Gj@@ THE man with the beard laughed, Gh) 2 rusty throaty sound, and stroked ‘ his nose delicately. “JT beg your pardon,” said he. “I’m a little ratty. I mean I’ve been so long—er— here.that—I forget that everybody doesn’t know—well, who I am and that sort of thing.”’ “Quite so, quite so. Very usual phe- nomenon.” “Of course,’ continued , the explorer, gaining more rationality in the tone of his speech and leaning forward in his chair; “you probably think I’m as mad as a hatter.” The doctor looked away. “Not quite—yet.”’ He stared at the fire medi- tatively. “By the way, what did you say you were here for, sir?” “T’m on a commission; economic and social investigation, y’know.” “Social, eh? That’s good!” Again he emitted a throaty chuckle. “We're fright- fully keen on sociology here. Oh , yes! Er—but didn’t you say you were a medical man?” Veo" “H’m. Perhaps you'll understand a little better. Although I don’t see why you should. I mean you won’t be so inclined to think I’m quite insane.” “Not at all. Not at all.” “But you do! Oh yes. Quite natural. I should myself. By the way, you’re not ina hurry, are you?” ss, “Oh no, not at all.” _ The teeth gleamed through the beard i a smile at the fire. Dukely shifted rest- lessly and looked up again. “That whisky of yours, Doctor, has bucked me up a lot—pulled me together. I ran out six months ago. You know I’m not insane.” ‘No, no,” assented the doctor, still won- dering. “But have another.” Sa e old man!”’ The skinny white hand again just re- frained from grabbing the screw-cap. “By the Lord, that’s good!” he gasped as he handed back the flask. “Queer be;