I was a fool for not detaining him by force,” said Dr Koomadhi, in telling the Commissioner, a few hours later, that his son-in-law had paid a visit to his (the Doctor’s) house. “But there really is nothing to be alarmed about. He has a whim, but he’ll soon tire of it.”
“I hope to heavens he’ll return by to-morrow evening,” said the Commander. “The Penguin will be here in the morning, and we must get him aboard by some means. What a pity you didn’t lock him in.”
“To tell you the truth, I was afraid to do so—if he had made a row in the morning on feeling himself a prisoner the thing would be over the town before noon. Oh, you may be certain that he’ll turn up again either to-day or tomorrow.”
That night one of the officers of the Houssas gave Dr Koomadhi a circumstantial account of a strange chimpanzee which one of the men had seen on the outskirts of the jungle at daybreak. If the thing wasn’t a chimpanzee it certainly was a gorilla, the officer said, and he meant to have a shot at it. Would the Doctor join him in the hunt? he inquired.
The Doctor said he would be delighted to do so, but not before the next evening, he had so much on hand.
The Penguin’s gun was heard early in the morning, and Dr Koomadhi had the privilege of reading his ‘Saturday Review’ at breakfast.
He went to the Residency before noon. The Commissioner was not there. He had gone aboard the Penguin, Mr Letts, the Secretary, said, without looking up from his paper.
“I wonder if you know anything about Minton, Mr Letts,” whispered Koomadhi.
“I wonder if you know anything about him, Dr Koomadhi,” said Mr Letts.
“He has not been near me since the night before last,” said the Doctor. “Has he been here?”