THE PLAGUE IS ANNOUNCED The next morning, a steamship flying the English flag came to anchor off Aratat, delivered and received mail bags, and after an hour's stay steamed away in the drift of the southeast trade winds, Bombay to Cape Colony.

The men at the chateau gazed longingly, helplessly through their glasses at this black hulled visitor from the world they loved; they watched it until nothing was left to be seen except the faint cloud of smoke that went to a pin point in the horizon.

There had been absolutely no opportunity to communicate with the officers of the ship; they sailed away hurriedly, as if in alarm.

Their haste was significant.
"I guess we'd better not tell the women," said Bobby Browne, heaving a deep sigh.

"It won't add to their cheerfulness if they hear that a ship has called here." "It couldn't matter in any event," said Deppingham.