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frizzling on some pestilential mudflat； of desperate
work； of discharging cargo； more than likely it
meant borrowing money at an exorbitant rate of
interestfrom the Siegers' gang too at that。 They
were a power in the port。 And that elderly seaman
of mine； Gambril； had looked pretty ghastly when
I went forward to dose him with quinine that morn…
ing。 HE would certainly dienot to speak of two
or three others that seemed nearly as bad； and of
the rest of them just ready to catch any tropical
disease going。 Horror； ruin and everlasting re…
morse。 And no help。 None。 I had fallen amongst
a lot of unfriendly lunatics！
At any rate； if I must take my ship down myself
it was my duty to procure if possible some local
knowledge。 But that was not easy。 The only per…
son I could think of for that service was a certain
Johnson； formerly captain of a country ship； but
now spliced to a country wife and gone utterly to
the bad。 I had only heard of him in the vaguest
way； as living concealed in the thick of two hundred
thousand natives； and only emerging into the light
of day for the purpose of hunting up some brandy。
I had a notion that if I could lay my hands on him
I would sober him on board my ship and use him
for a pilot。 Better than nothing。 Once a sailor
always a sailorand he had known the river for
years。 But in our Consulate （where I arrived drip…
ping after a sharp walk） they could tell me noth…
ing。 The excellent young men on the staff； though
willing to help me； belonged to a sphere of the
white colony for which that sort of Johnson does
not exist。 Their suggestion was that I should hunt
the man up myself with the help of the Consulate's
constablean ex…sergeant…major of a regiment of
Hussars。
This man； whose usual duty apparently consisted
in sitting behind a little table in an outer room
of Consular offices； when ordered to assist me in
my search for Johnson displayed lots of energy
and a marvellous amount of local knowledge of a
sort。 But he did not conceal an immense and scep…
tical contempt for the whole business。 We explored
together on that afternoon an infinity of infamous
grog shops； gambling dens； opium dens。 We
walked up narrow lanes where our gharrya tiny
box of a thing on wheels； attached to a jibbing Bur…
mah ponycould by no means have passed。 The
constable seemed to be on terms of scornful inti…
macy with Maltese； with Eurasians； with China…
men； with Klings； and with the sweepers attached
to a temple； with whom he talked at the gate。 We
interviewed also through a grating in a mud wall
closing a blind alley an immensely corpulent Ital…
ian； who； the ex…sergeant…major remarked to me
perfunctorily； had 〃killed another man last year。〃
Thereupon he addressed him as 〃Antonio〃 and
〃Old Buck；〃 though that bloated carcase； appar…
ently more than half filling the sort of cell where…
in it sat； recalled rather a fat pig in a stye。 Fa…
miliar and never unbending； the sergeant chucked
absolutely chuckedunder the chin a horribly
wrinkled and shrivelled old hag propped on a stick；
who had volunteered some sort of information： and
with the same stolid face he kept up an animated
conversation with the groups of swathed brown
women； who sat smoking cheroots on the door…steps
of a long range of clay hovels。 We got out of the
gharry and clambered into dwellings airy like
packing crates； or descended into places sinister
like cellars。 We got in； we drove on； we got out
again for the sole purpose； as it seemed； of looking
behind a heap of rubble。 The sun declined； my
companion was curt and sardonic in his answers；
but it appears we were just missing Johnson all
along。 At last our conveyance stopped once more
with a jerk； and the driver jumping down opened
the door。
A black mudhole blocked the lane。 A mound of
garbage crowned with the dead body of a dog ar…
rested us not。 An empty Australian beef tin
bounded cheerily before the toe of my boot。 Sud…
denly we clambered through a gap in a prickly
fence。 。 。 。
It was a very clean native compound： and the
big native woman； with bare brown legs as thick
as bedposts； pursuing on all fours a silver dollar
that came rolling out from somewhere； was Mrs。
Johnson herself。 〃Your man's at home；〃 said the
ex…sergeant； and stepped aside in complete and
marked indifference to anything that might follow。
Johnsonat homestood with his back to a native
house built on posts and with its walls made of
mats。 In his left hand he held a banana。 Out of
the right he dealt another dollar into space。 The
woman captured this one on the wing； and there
and then plumped down on the ground to look at
us with greater comfort。
My man was sallow of face； grizzled； unshaven；
muddy on elbows and back； where the seams of his
serge coat yawned you could see his white naked…
ness。 The vestiges of a paper collar encircled his
neck。 He looked at us with a grave； swaying sur…
prise。 〃Where do you come from？〃 he asked。
My heart sank。 How could I have been stupid
enough to waste energy and time for this？
But having already gone so far I approached a
little nearer and declared the purpose of my visit。
He would have to come at once with me； sleep on
board my ship； and to…morrow； with the first of the
ebb； he would give me his assistance in getting my
ship down to the sea； without steam。 A six…hun…
dred…ton barque； drawing nine feet aft。 I pro…
posed to give him eighteen dollars for his local
knowledge； and all the time I was speaking he
kept on considering attentively the various aspects
of the banana； holding first one side up to his eye；
then the other。
〃You've forgotten to apologise；〃 he said at last
with extreme precision。 〃Not being a gentleman
yourself； you don't know apparently when you in…
trude upon a gentleman。 I am one。 I wish you to
understand that when I am in funds I don't work；
and now 。 。 。〃
I would have pronounced him perfectly sober
hadn't he paused in great concern to try and brush
a hole off the knee of his trousers。
〃I have moneyand friends。 Every gentle…
man has。 Perhaps you would like to know my
friend？ His name is Falk。 You could borrow
some money。 Try to remember。 F…A…L…K； Falk。〃
Abruptly his tone changed。 〃A noble heart；〃 he
said muzzily。
〃Has Falk been giving you some money？〃 I
asked； appalled by the detailed finish of the dark
plot。
〃Lent me； my good man； not given me。 Lent；〃
he corrected suavely。 〃Met me taking the air
last evening； and being as usual anxious to oblige
Hadn't you better go to the devil out of my
compound？〃
And upon this； without other warning； he let
fly with the banana which missed my head； and took
the constable just under the left eye。 He rushed
at the miserable Johnson； stammering with fury。
They fell。 。 。 。 But why dwell on the wretched…
ness； the breathlessness