On the summit of a little knoll, with a pipe between his teeth and
his back against a palm-tree, Trent was lounging away an hour of the
breathless night. Usually a sound sleeper, the wakefulness, which had
pursued him from the instant his head had touched his travelling pillow
an hour or so back, was not only an uncommon occurrence, but one which
seemed proof against any effort on his part to overcome it. So he had
risen and stolen away from the little camp where his companions lay
wrapped in heavy slumber. They had closed their eyes in a dense
and tropical darkness--so thick indeed that they had lit a fire,
notwithstanding the stifling heat, to remove that vague feeling of
oppression which chaos so complete seemed to bring with it. Its embers
burnt now with a faint and sickly glare in the full flood of yellow
moonlight which had fallen upon the country. From this point of vantage
Trent could trace backwards their day's march for many miles, the white
posts left by the surveyor even were visible, and in the background rose
the mountains of Bekwando. It had been a hard week's work for Trent. He
had found chaos, discontent, despair. The English agent of the Bekwando
Land Company was on the point of cancelling his contract, the surveyors
were spending valuable money without making any real attempt to start
upon their undoubtedly difficult task. Everywhere the feeling seemed to
be that the prosecution of his schemes was an impossibility. The road
was altogether in the clouds. Trent was flatly told that the labour
they required was absolutely unprocurable. Fortunately Trent knew the
country, and he was a man of resource. From the moment when he had
appeared upon the spot, things had begun to right themselves. He had
found Oom Sam established as a sort of task-master and contractor, and
had promptly dismissed him, with the result that the supply of Kru boys
was instantly doubled. He had found other sources of labour and
started them at once on clearing work, scornfully indifferent to the
often-expressed doubts of the English surveyor as to possibility of
making the road at all. He had chosen overseers with that swift and
intuitive insight into character which in his case amounted almost to
genius. With a half-sheet of notepaper and a pencil, he had mapped out a
road which had made one, at least, of the two surveyors thoughtful, and
had largely increased his respect for the English capitalist. Now he was
on his way back from a tour almost to Bekwando itself by the route of
the proposed road. Already the work of preparation had begun. Hundreds
of natives left in their track were sawing down palm-trees, cutting away
the bush, digging and making ready everywhere for that straight, wide
thoroughfare which was to lead from Bekwando village to the sea-coast.
Cables as to his progress had already been sent back to London. Apart
from any other result, Trent knew that he had saved the Syndicate a
fortune by his journey here.
The light of the moon grew stronger--the country lay stretched out
before him like a map. With folded arms and a freshly-lit pipe Trent
leaned with his back against the tree and fixed eyes. At first he saw
nothing but that road, broad and white, stretching to the horizon and
thronged with oxen-drawn wagons. Then the fancy suddenly left him and
a girl's face seemed to be laughing into his--a face which was ever
changing, gay and brilliant one moment, calm and seductively beautiful
the next. He smoked his pipe furiously, perplexed and uneasy. One moment
the face was Ernestine's, the next it was Monty's little girl laughing
up at him from the worn and yellow tin-type. The promise of the one--had
it been fulfilled in the woman? At least he knew that here was the one
great weakness of his life. The curious flood of sentiment, which
had led him to gamble for the child's picture, had merged with equal
suddenness into passion at the coming of her later presentment. High
above all his plans for the accumulation of power and wealth, he set
before him now a desire which had become the moving impulse of his
life--a desire primitive but overmastering--the desire of a strong man
for the woman he loves. In London he had scarcely dared admit so much
even to himself. Here, in this vast solitude, he was more master of
himself--dreams which seemed to him the most beautiful and the most
daring which he had ever conceived, filled his brain and stirred his
senses till the blood in his veins seemed flowing to a new and wonderful
music. Those were wonderful moments for him.
His pipe was nearly out, and a cooler breeze was stealing over the
plain. After all, perhaps an hour or so's sleep would be possible now.
He stretched himself and yawned, cast one more glance across the moonlit
plain, and then stood suddenly still, stiffened into an attitude of
breathless interest. Yonder, between two lines of shrubs, were moving
bodies--men, footsore and weary, crawling along with slow, painful
movements; one at least of them was a European, and even at that
distance Trent could tell that they were in grievous straits. He felt
for his revolver, and, finding that it was in his belt, descended the
hill quickly towards them.
With every step which he took he could distinguish them more plainly.
There were five Kru boys, a native of a tribe which he did not
recognise, and a European who walked with reeling footsteps, and who, it
was easy to see, was on the point of exhaustion. Soon they saw him, and
a feeble shout greeted his approach. Trent was within hailing distance
before he recognised the European. Then, with a little exclamation of
surprise, he saw that it was Captain Francis.
They met face to face in a moment, but Francis never recognised him. His
eyes were bloodshot, a coarse beard disguised his face, and his clothes
hung about him in rags. Evidently he was in a terrible plight. When he
spoke his voice sounded shrill and cracked.
“We are starving men,” he said; “can you help us?”
“Of course we can,” Trent answered quickly. “This way. We've plenty of
stores.”
The little party stumbled eagerly after him. In a few moments they were
at the camp. Trent roused his companions, packages were hastily undone
and a meal prepared. Scarcely a word was said or a question asked. One
or two of the Kru boys seemed on the verge of insanity--Francis himself
was hysterical and faint. Trent boiled a kettle and made some beef-tea
himself. The first mouthful Francis was unable to swallow. His throat
had swollen and his eyes were hideously bloodshot. Trent, who had seen
men before in dire straits, fed him from a spoon and forced brandy
between his lips. Certainly, at the time, he never stopped to consider
that he was helping back to life the man who in all the world was most
likely to do him ill.
“Better?” he asked presently.
“Much. What luck to find you. What are you after--gold?”
Trent shook his head.
“Not at present. We're planning out the new road from Attra to
Bekwando.”
Francis looked up with surprise.
“Never heard of it,” he said; “but there's trouble ahead for you. They
are dancing the war-dance at Bekwando, and the King has been shut up for
three days with the priest and never opened his mouth. We were on our
way from the interior, and relied upon them for food and drink. They've
always been friendly, but this time we barely escaped with our lives.”
Trent's face grew serious. This was bad news for him, and he was
thankful that they had not carried out their first plan and commenced
their prospecting at Bekwando village.
“We have a charter,” he said, “and, if necessary, we must fight. I'm
glad to be prepared though.”
“A charter!” Francis pulled himself together and looked curiously at the
man who was still bending over him.
“Great Heavens!” he exclaimed, “why, you are Scarlett Trent, the man
whom I met with poor Villiers in Bekwando years ago.”
Trent nodded.
“We waited for you,” he said, “to witness our concession. I thought that
you would remember.”
“I thought,” Francis said slowly, “that there was something familiar
about you.... I remember it all now. You were gambling with poor old
Monty for his daughter's picture against a bottle of brandy.”
Trent winced a little.
“You have an excellent memory,” he said drily.
Francis raised himself a little, and a fiercer note crept into his tone.
“It is coming back to me,” he said. “I remember more about you now,
Scarlett Trent. You are the man who left his partner to die in a jungle,
that you might rob him of his share in the concession. Oh yes, you see
my memory is coming back! I have an account against you, my man.”
“It's a lie!” said Trent passionately. “When I left him, I honestly
believed him to be a dead man.”
“How many people will believe that?” Francis scoffed. “I shall take
Monty with me to England. I have finished with this country for
awhile--and then--and then--”
He was exhausted, and sank back speechless. Trent sat and watched him,
smoking in thoughtful silence. They two were a little apart from the
others, and Francis was fainting. A hand upon his throat--a drop from
that phial in the medicine-chest--and his faint would carry him into
eternity. And still Trent sat and smoked.