She must have been listening, for she was at his side immediately, and when he had her hands in his again it seemed to Hammer that all was right with the world.
"Now tell me about it," he said, his flagging interest reviving before the wonder of it all. "Didn't the—the adders—puff-adders, Krausz said they were——"
"No, sir, they didn't," broke in John. "They didn't, 'cause why, they wasn't nothing of the sort, sir. I dessay the doctor thought as 'ow they was puff-adders, and for the matter o' that so did I till I got down and 'ad a good look at 'em as I was a-slipping of the rope on you——"
"Great Scott!" exclaimed Hammer sharply. "Do you mean to say you went down in there after me? And you thought they were adders——"
"Lud!" And for the first and last time in his life Hammer saw John Solomon blush in the firelight. "Don't take on so, Mr. 'Ammer—you see, the Arabs wouldn't do it, so it was werry plain it 'ad to be done, and——"
The American put out a hand, his voice husky.
"Thank you, John," he said simply. "I—I think you understand."
"Yes, sir. And now if you'll be letting me tell my story, sir—well, it was like this. I got there too late, what wi' losing some o' me men and one thing and another, and the doctor 'e was a-looking down the 'ole, so I knowed where you was. It fair druv me mad for a bit, sir, and I ups and lets drive. Werry sorry I am to say it, but I missed, not 'aving used a gun for a long time.
"'Owsoever, we potted three o' them danged askaris, the fourth bein' me own man, but the doctor's got clean off. It give me quite a turn, Mr. 'Ammer, it did that, when I come to the edge o' that there 'ole and looked down. The two Afghans was after the doctor, and the Arabs wouldn't go down, so I 'ad to.
"We got the missus up first-off, but when I went down again for you, sir, it near give me the jumps to see you a laying across Jenson's body——"