At this declaration poor Barbara gasped and leaned back against her
pillow. Alan stood silent, though his lips turned white, while Jeekie
thrust his big head through the tent opening and stared upwards.

"What are you looking at, Jeekie?" asked Alan irritably.

"Seem to want air, Major, also look to see if clouds tumble. Believe
partickler big lie do that sometimes. Please go on, O good Lord, for
Jeekie want his breakfast."

"As regards the execution of two of Miss Champers' bearers and the
flogging of some others, these punishments were inflicted for mutiny,"
went on Aylward. "It was obviously necessary that she should be moved
back to the coast, but I found out that they were trying to desert her
in a body and to tamper with my own servants, and so was obliged to take
strong measures."

"Sure those clouds come down now," soliloquized Jeekie, "or least
something rummy happen."

"I have only to add, Major Vernon, that unless you make away with me
first, as I daresay you will, as soon as we reach civilization again I
shall proceed against you and this fellow for the cold-blooded murder
of my men, in punishment of which I hope yet to live to see you hanged.
Meanwhile, I have much pleasure in releasing Miss Champers from her
engagement to me which, whatever she may have said to you in England,
she was glad enough to enter on here in Africa, a country of which I
have been told the climate frequently deteriorates the moral character."

"Hear, hear!" ejaculated Jeekie, "he say something true at last; by