"Love or life, it's all one," he said, but apparently unamused. "Swallow it!"
Mainward giggled and obeyed.
"And now," said the stranger—this was six hours later—"the best thing you can do is to let my boys put you on my steamer and take you down river."
Mainward shook his head. He had awakened irritable and lamentably weak.
"My dear chap, it's awfully kind of you to have come—by the way, I suppose you are a doctor?"
Sanders shook his head.
"On the contrary, I am the Commissioner of this district," he said flippantly—"but you were saying——"
"I want to stay here—it's devilish pretty."
"Devilish is the very adjective I should have used—my dear man, this is the plague spot of the Congo; it's the home of every death-dealing fly and bug in Africa."
He waved his hand to the hidden vistas of fresh green glades, of gorgeous creepers shown in the light of the camp fires.