The _Wiggle_ was swerving to the southern bank of the river, and two majestic flamingos standing at the water's edge had arrested the girl's attention. "_They're_ bad eatin', too," said the informative Bones. "The flesh is fishy an' too fat; heron are just the same." "Haven't you a soul, Bones?" she asked severely. "A soul, dear ma'am?" Bones asked, in astonishment. "Why, that's my specialty!" It was a delightful morning for the girl, for Bones had retired to his cabin at her earnest request, and was struggling with the company accounts, and she was left to enjoy the splendour of the day, to watch the iron-red waters piling up against the _Wiggle's_ bows, to feel the cool breezes that swept down from the far-away mountains, and all this without being under the necessity of making conversation with Bones. That gentleman had a no less profitable morning, for Ali Abid was a methodical and clerkly man, and unearthed the missing thirty-nine dollars in the Compensation Record. "Thank goodness!" said Bones, relieved. "You're a jolly old accountant, Ali. I'd never have found it." "Sir," said Ali, "some subjects, by impetuous application, omit vision of intricate detail. This is due to subjects' lack of concentration." "Have it your way," said Bones, "but get the statement out for me to copy." He awoke the girl from a profound reverie--which centred about shy and solemn bachelors who adopted whole nations of murderous children as their own--and proceeded to "take charge." This implied the noisy issuing of orders which nobody carried out, the manipulation of a telescope, anxious glances at the heavens, deep and penetrating scrutinies of the water, and a promenade back and forward from one side of the launch to the other. Bones called this "pacing the bridge," and invariably carried his telescope tucked under his arm in the process, and, as he had to step over Pat's feet every time, and sometimes didn't, she arrested his nautical wanderings. "You make me dizzy," she said. "And isn't that the island?" * * * * * In the early hours of the afternoon they re-embarked, the _capita_ of the village coming to the beach to see them off. They brought back with them a collection of spear-heads, gruesome execution knives, elephant swords, and wonder-working steel figures. "And the lunch was simply lovely, Bones," agreed the girl, as the _Wiggle_ turned her nose homeward. "Really, you can be quite clever sometimes." "Dear old Miss Hamilton," said Bones, "you saw me to-day as I really am. The mask was off, and the real Bones, kindly, thoughtful, considerate, an'--if I may use the word without your foundin' any great hope upon it--tender. You saw me free from carkin' care, alert----" "Go along and finish your accounts, like a good boy," she said. "I'm going to doze."