“Either that he was the worst kind of a fool, or that he had concluded it was safer to keep himself out of sight.”
“Well,” pursued the sailor slowly, “there’s one of our firemen taken to hurling chunks of coal at the other men instead of into the furnaces. It ain’t only his fun, but the rest of the boys object to it. It seemed sort of suitable when I asked that guide of mine this afternoon what a certain house was, and he gave me to understand it was a lunatic asylum. I don’t see but a week or two way up there while we’re lying off Paranati might set this nigger right.”
“You didn’t go so far as make any inquiries?” asked Mr Hicks.
“Well, I just did, as we were giving the horses a rest in the village. Saw the doctor chap, ain’t been long at the business, only one patient at present, old fellow who’s forgotten his own name, but looks smart enough.”
“What’s the doctor’s name?” broke from Usk and Mr Hicks together.
“Gregory? no, something sort of foreign-sounding—Gregorescu, here it is. I said I would have him hear from me.”
“So you shall, to-morrow morning,” said Mr Hicks, “and I’ll go along there with you.”
“The doctor would as lief be rid of this old fellow, I guess. He told me he was quite safe to be allowed out, but he didn’t know where to find his friends.”
“Then his friends will find him. Did you say you were coming here?”
“Well, yes, I guess I did.”