Years afterwards they remembered this conversation, and it is possible that Jack Meredith wondered then what instinct it was that made him change the direction of their thoughts.
"If it is agreeable to you," he said, "I think it would be wise for me to go down to Loango, and gently intimate to Durnovo that we should be glad of his services." "Certainly." "He cannot be buying quinine all this time, you know.

He said he would travel night and day." Oscard nodded gravely.
"How will you put it ?" he asked.
"I thought I would simply say that his non-arrival caused us some anxiety, and that I had come down to see if anything was wrong." Jack rose and threw away the end of his cigarette.

It was quite late, and across the river the gleam of the moonlight on fixed bayonets told that only the sentries were astir.
"And what about the small-pox ?" pursued Oscard, more with the desire to learn than to amend.
"Don't think I shall say anything about that.

The man wants careful handling." "You will have to tell him that we have got it under." "Yes, I'll do that.

Good-night, old fellow; I shall be off by daylight." By seven o'clock the next morning the canoe was ready, with its swarthy rowers in their places.