“That other devil tried to poison me,” suddenly shouted the elder man. “The one I went to Australia with.” At which, in spite of himself, the younger smiled in secret.
“How was that?” he asked.
“Wanted to get rid of me. She got in with another fellow on the ship.... By Jove, I was bad.”
“Where?—on the ship?”
“No,” bellowed the other. “No. That was in Wellington, New Zealand. I was bad, and got lower an’ lower—couldn’t think what was up. I could hardly crawl about. As certain as I’m here, she was poisoning me, to get to th’ other chap—I’m certain of it.”
“And what did you do?”
“I cleared out—went to Sydney—”
“And left her?”
“Yes, I thought begod, I’d better clear out if I wanted to live.”
“And you were all right in Sydney?”