"Mr. Strux," cried the Colonel, folding his arms, and fixing his eyes on his adversary, "do you wish to insult me? Why should you suppose that we will not seek this blundering calculator?"
"Sir!" said Strux.
"Yes, blundering," repeated the Colonel. "And to return to what you said, I maintain that any embarrassment to the progress of the operations from this circumstance would be due to the Russians alone."
"Colonel," cried Strux, with gleaming eyes, "your words are hasty."
"My words, on the contrary, are well weighed. Let it be understood that operations are suspended until Mr. Palander is found. Are you ready to start?"
"I was ready before you spoke a word," answered Strux sharply.
The caravan having now arrived, the disputants each went to his waggon. On the way Sir John could not help saying,—
"It is lucky that the stupid fellow has not carried off the double register."
"Just what I was thinking," said the Colonel.
The Englishmen proceeded more strictly to interrogate Mokoum. He told them that Palander had been missing for two days, and had last been seen alongside of the caravan about twelve miles from the encampment; that after missing him, he at once set out to seek for him, but being unsuccessful in all his search, had concluded that he must have made his way to his companions.