"His voice cracked as he brought his story to this abrupt close; and I said nothing, but shook his outstretched hand.
"'When can we start?' he asked.
"'You must pull yourself together a bit, Stevens, before we do anything of the kind.'
"Then I told him briefly how I was a free man, and able to go where I listed; and that, as I could combine my first essay in orchid-hunting with the search for Brito's treasure, I didn't care how soon I went. But it could not be until Stevens was better able to travel, as the rains were coming on, and further exposure might mean death to him.
"'And now,' I said, 'you'd better turn in and have a snooze. I'm a bit sleepy myself.'
"With that he got up and shambled off to bed. The next morning he was in a high fever, and it was some time before he was right again. At length he said he was once more fit 'to fight his weight in wild cats.' He wasn't by any means that: he was still weak, and not able to face any great hardship; but enforced idleness was sending the man mad, and I thought we'd better make a start. I did not mean to go in for any particular roughing it. It was only subsequently that I learned what sort of music an orchid-hunter has to face."
Burgess stopped for a moment, and pointed his finger at the Boy, who lay flat on his back, sound asleep, with his lower jaw open.
"If you're feeling like that, I'll reel up."
"Go ahead," said the skipper: "if you've done nothing else you've quieted that young limb for the present, and we owe you a vote of thanks for that."
"Go on, Burgess," said Sladen: "you've burnt your ships now, and can't go back."