Part 59 (2/2)
There we all clambered out to stretch craue, Coutlass cursing us for letting what he called idleness coe
Kaziathered an arone to hunt for more; one of the other boys had struck a match, and the first little flicker of cri to curl skyward, when Fred jumped on it and stamped it out
”Silence!” he ordered ”Keep still every one!” and repeated it twice in Kiswahili for the natives' benefit
We could not see at first which way he was staring through the darkness It was more than two minutes before I knehat had alaravefrom the lake; and when I had searched for a loe had watched froht out--the telltale crimson stain on the dark that rides above a steamer's funnel, and at intervals a strea her at top speed
”It can't be the German launch,” said I
”Why not?” demanded Fred irritably He knew I kneas the German launch as certainly as he did
”How can they have patched her boiler?” I asked
”How oes! No other launch on the lake can make that speed! I've heard the British railway people have a launch or two, but they're sh to have traveled down the line on ordinary trucks That's the Gerschen as surely as we stand here!”
We waited there until dawn, arguing at intervals, not daring to light a fire, nor caring to sleep, Coutlass sitting apart and laughing every now and then like a hyena
”If theon, said Fred
”What's the use?” argued Brown ”We can't catch the bally launch, can we? Soon as it's daylight they'd see us, like as not I hope to get drunk once ood-by us!”
”I'd say follow thereed ”But what's the odds? It's us they're after They'll dare do nothing to the woreed, not believing a word of it, any s somehow; the men were too weary to drive the canoes anotherlike speed Coutlass, who had heard every word of the arguhter that Fred threw a rock at hied his tone frori, eh? It is I, Georges Coutlass, who need do nothing! I have e by proxy! Wait and see!”
Fred threw a second rock, and hit him squarely
”Gassharamminy!” swore the Greek ”Do you know that rock is harder than a ht a fire when the sun had risen high enough to make the little blaze not noticeable Most of the il we could not have copied theht we breakfasted off slices of hot boiled hippo tongue and cold lake water, without salt or condiments of any kind, and with discontent increased by that unpleasing feast we aroused the boys and drove theain, and picked up smoke on the sky-line an hour before noon, but it was not fro smoke with a look of iniquity about it that sent our hearts to ourbefore any of us couldhimself amidshi+ps, told us e kneas true and flatly refused to believe
”It's the Queen of Sheba burning to the water-line!”
”Sit down, you fool, or you'll upset us!”
”She's gutted already--the fla now but sue!”
”I can see the smoke of the Gerht ahead beyond the smoke of the dhow! They've burned the dhow and steamed away! I'll bet you a million pounds they've killed everybody--shot 'em, or burned 'em alive, or drowned 'em!”
”Did you hear me tell you to sit down? I'll tip you overboard and h! Look at the brutes! In you go a the crocks if you don't sit down at once!”