The Lost Valley | Page 4

telling him just what I thought.

"I don't think you want anyone to look after you," I said. "You're as
game as they make 'em. I'm pretty used to reading men--I've been in
places where my life depended on my ability in that direction--and
when I see a fellow smile like you're smiling now, you can take it from
me that he's grit all through."
"They'll get me yet," he said with a sigh. "I'm handicapped, you see. I
couldn't have sprinted along the beach the way you did. I'd have
wheezed. Bellows gone and all that, you know. Too much fat, the
doctor says."
"Now, you're just about right there. I don't like to be personal, but now
you mention it, you don't seem to have the cut of an athlete."
"And you have," he said, as he insinuated himself into his collar. It was
a trifle too small for his neck, and he had to coax it a lot before he got
both ends to meet. "You're the type of man I take to instantly, Mr. ----."
He asked me a question with his eyes.
"Well," I said in answer, "if it's any use to you my name's Carstairs,
Jimmy Carstairs at that, and I'm an explorer by inclination, gentleman
by instinct, and the rolling-stone-that-gathers-no-moss by sheer force of
unlovely circumstance. Now you know all that I intend to tell you
about myself."
"Um!" he said again. "I had better introduce myself, I suppose. I fancy
my card-case's in my coat pocket."
"Don't trouble about a card," I said airily. "I'm not at all fussy. I'm quite
willing to take your word for it."
There was a twinkle in his eye, as he replied, that showed he rather
appreciated my cheap wit. "Bryce is my name," he said. "You may
have heard of it?"
"Can't say I have," I told him, "though I'm pretty certain to see it often
if you make a practice of keeping up this guerilla warfare."

It wasn't a nice thing to say, but then I'm never very particular, and if
my listeners don't like my remarks they're always welcome to change
the subject. When all's said and done there was more in that last jab of
mine than met the ear. I wanted very much to know why that
sharpshooter should be so extremely anxious to put him out of action.
Also he had said "they." There had only been one man behind the rocks,
and I could have sworn on a stack of Bibles that there wasn't another
human being--with the sole exception of the men a mile or so along the
beach--within coo-ee at the time. "You've been there before, my
friend," I thought. "This isn't the first time you've flushed a chap with a
bit of hardware." From what I could see Bryce hadn't the slightest
intention of making me as wise as himself and even the broad hint I
gave him didn't seem to move him in the least. He surveyed me steadily
for the scrag-end of a minute and then his left eyelid flickered. I knew
right enough what that wink meant. It said as plainly as could be that
dead men tell no tales and wise men follow their example.
"Now, Mr. Bryce," I said, "I like your company and it pains me to leave
you, but I can't stop here for ever. I've got an important engagement at
the next town and the sooner I get there the better. Under the
circumstances you'll have to excuse me."
He didn't tell me that I was a liar but he went pretty close to it. "The
next town's Geelong," he said, "and it's a good fourteen miles away.
You might have sprinted along that sand in record time when
somebody's life was trembling in the balance, but that doesn't say you
can walk fourteen miles on a rotten road on a broiling hot day. And if I
wished to be as personal as you are I'd point out that a burst boot
doesn't help make the way any easier."
"Bowled out first shot," I told him. "What's your little game?"
"To use your own inimitable phraseology, my little game amounts to
this. I've taken a violent fancy to you, Carstairs, and I want to keep you
by me. I don't think your luck's been too good lately, but between us I
fancy we can mend it. If you want to go into Geelong all you've got to
do is wait and come with me. I'm going back shortly, and I'm sure
you'd feel much better riding in a motor than travelling on foot."

"Now you mention it," I said, "I can't see why I shouldn't. The only
trouble is that some of your excitable friends might see me in your
company