"Velly good, sah," said the comprador. "Hai! My fo'get one ting. No hab got no chow-chow.[#]"
[#] Food.
"Well, bring some back with you. Make your brother's brother-in-law understand clearly."
The comprador went ashore. He was absent much longer than Burroughs anticipated. When he at length returned, his usually inexpressive face wore a look of smug satisfaction hardly to be accounted for by his purchases of food.
"What a time you have been!" said Burroughs. "Have you made it all right with your brother's brother-in-law?"
"Yes, sah, allo lightee," replied the man, with a gleam of suppressed amusement.
He laid his bundles in the boat, then approached his master, fumbled in the little bag he wore at his waist, and drew from it a small packet done up in rice paper, which he handed to Burroughs.
"Allo lightee, sah," he repeated.
Burroughs opened the packet with a mild curiosity, and started. There lay a thick brown moustache, brushed up and waxed at each end, and neatly attached to a strip of light flexible gauze.
"Where on earth did you get this?" he asked, fingering the stiff hair.