OVER THE LIKIPIA ESCARPMENT. 



said he. "I doubt if he's ever had one before, 

 or if he ever will again. He's that sort of a 

 meek damnfool." 



So it was decreed that Kimau * should carry 

 nothing for the rest of the trip, was to do no more 

 work, was to have all he wanted to eat. It was 

 a treat to see him. He accepted these things 

 without surprise, without spoken thanks ; just 

 as he would have accepted an increased supply of 

 work and kicks. Before his little fire he squatted 

 all day, gazing vacantly off into space, or gnaw- 

 ing on a piece of the meat he always kept roast- 

 ing on sticks. He spoke to no one ; he never 

 smiled or displayed any obvious signs of enjoy- 

 ment ; but from him radiated a feeling of deep 

 content. 



His companion savage was a young blood, 

 and still affected by the vanities of life. His hair 

 he wore in short tight curls, resembling the rope 

 hair of a French poodle, liberally anointed with 

 castor-oil and coloured with red-paint clay. 

 His body, too, was turned to bronze by the same 

 method, so that he looked like a beautiful 

 smooth metal statue come to life. To set this 

 quality off he wore glittering collars, bracelets, 



* His official name was Lightfoot, Queen of the Fairies, because 

 of his ballet-like costume. 



