A gang of native prisoners were sweeping the footpath at the cross roads. The black policeman who guarded them stood to attention and saluted. Archie seemed to hesitate before he returned the salute. He paused for a moment, as if uncertain whether to come up to the verandah. At last he turned and made for the business part of the township.
'Where's he off to?' asked Mrs. Lavater, disappointed, I thought, that another should have first pull at the news. 'He'll be here in a minute,' she consoled herself.
But minutes passed and Archie did not come. For some imprecise reason faintly uneasy, I made an excuse to follow him. Passing the little group of red brick houses with their shady balconies and luxuriant pergolas, their tidy English beds of roses and carnations, I came to the trading store. Mackenzie was stock-taking.
'And three dozen is six hundred,' he said as I entered.
'Pleased to see you, Mr. Ross ... would you believe it, the ladies call these cups too dear at eleven pence! I give you my word they cost me ninepence and a fraction landed here, and that's without breakages or overhead charges.'
I sympathised and, as soon as I could, I asked if Sinclair had been there.
'It's not ten minutes since he got up from that chair,' I was told. 'He looked as if he needed a chair too.'
Mackenzie did not think it was fever. If it was, he'd never seen a go like it. Archie looked 'all endwise,' he said, and added that he hadn't seemed to know whether he was coming or going. He had stared at Mackenzie quite queerly when he told him about the golf-course scandal. But he was plainly glad to see the case of ammunition that was waiting for him in the meal store. He brought two rounds out of his pocket which he said were his last. Then he had gone to the shelves and ordered tinned fruit and vegetables by the dozen.
I interrupted to ask for news of Norah.
'I inquired after his lady,' said Mackenzie, 'but the Captain never seemed to hear me.' With national readiness to anticipate the worst, he added that he would be sorry if everything was not well there.