“Nothing of the sort,” I said, putting my back to the door. “Anypolice interference would bring about the very catastrophe whichyou dread.” I took out my notebook and scribbled one word upona loose sheet. “That,” said I as I handed it to Colonel Emsworth, “iswhat has brought us here.”
He stared at the writing with a face from which every expressionsave amazement had vanished.
“How do you know?” he gasped, sitting down heavily in hischair.
“It is my business to know things. That is my trade.”
He sat in deep thought, his gaunt hand tugging at his stragglingbeard. Then he made a gesture of resignation.
“Well, if you wish to see Godfrey, you shall. It is no doing ofmine, but you have forced my hand. Ralph, tell Mr. Godfrey andMr. Kent that in five minutes we shall be with them.”
At the end of that time we passed down the garden path andfound ourselves in front of the mystery house at the end. Asmall bearded man stood at the door with a look of considerableastonishment upon his face.
“This is very sudden, Colonel Emsworth,” said he. “This willdisarrange all our plans.”
“I can’t help it, Mr. Kent. Our hands have been forced. Can Mr.
Godfrey see us?”
“Yes, he is waiting inside.” He turned and led us into a largeplainly furnished front room. A man was standing with his backto the fire, and at the sight of him my client sprang forward withoutstretched hand.
“Why, Godfrey, old man, this is fine!”
But the other waved him back.
“Don’t touch me, Jimmie. Keep your distance. Yes, you may wellstare! I don’t quite look the smart Lance-Corporal Emsworth, of BSquadron, do I?”
His appearance was certainly extraordinary. One could seethat he had indeed been a handsome man with clear-cut featuressunburned by an African sun, but mottled in patches over thisdarker surface were curious whitish patches which had bleachedhis skin.
“That’s why I don’t court visitors,” said he. “I don’t mind you,Jimmie, but I could have done without your friend. I suppose thereis some good reason for it, but you have me at a disadvantage.”
“I wanted to be sure that all was well with you, Godfrey. I sawyou that night when you looked into my window, and I could notlet the matter rest till I had cleared things up.”
“Old Ralph told me you were there, and I couldn’t help takinga peep at you. I hoped you would not have seen me, and I had torun to my burrow when I heard the window go up.”
“But what in heaven’s name is the matter?”
“Well, it’s not a long story to tell,” said he, lighting a cigarette.
“You remember that morning fight at Buffelsspruit, outsidePretoria, on the Eastern railway line? You heard I was hit?”
“Yes, I heard that but I never got particulars.”
“Three of us got separated from the others. It was very brokencountry, you may remember. There was Simpson—the fellow wecalled Baldy Simpson—and Anderson, and I. We were clearingbrother Boer, but he lay low and got the three of us. The othertwo were killed. I got an elephant bullet through my shoulder.
I stuck on to my horse, however, and he galloped several milesbefore I fainted and rolled off the saddle.
“When I came to myself it was nightfall, and I raised myselfup, feeling very weak and ill. To my surprise there was a houseclose beside me, a fairly large house with a broad stoep and manywindows. It was deadly cold. You remember the kind of numb coldwhich used to come at evening, a deadly, sickening sort of cold,very different from a crisp healthy frost. Well, I was chilled to thebone, and my only hope seemed to lie in reaching that house. Istaggered to my feet and dragged myself along, hardly consciousof what I did. I have a dim memory of slowly ascending the steps,entering a wide-opened door, passing into a large room whichcontained several beds, and throwing myself down with a gasp ofsatisfaction upon one of them. It was unmade, but that troubledme not at all. I drew the clothes over my shivering body and in amoment I was in a deep sleep.
“It was morning when I wakened, and it seemed to me thatinstead of coming out into a world of sanity I had emerged intosome extraordinary nightmare. The African sun flooded throughthe big, curtainless windows, and every detail of the great, bare,whitewashed dormitory stood out hard and clear. In front of mewas standing a small, dwarf-like man with a huge, bulbous head,who was jabbering excitedly in Dutch, waving two horrible handswhich looked to me like brown sponges. Behind him stood a groupof people who seemed to be intensely amused by the situation,but a chill came over me as I looked at them. Not one of themwas a normal human being. Every one was twisted or swollenor disfigured in some strange way. The laughter of these strangemonstrosities was a dreadful thing to hear.
“It seemed that none of them could speak English, but thesituation wanted clearing up, for the creature with the big headwas growing furiously angry, and, uttering wild-beast cries, hehad laid his deformed hands upon me and was dragging me outof bed, regardless of the fresh flow of blood from my wound. Thelittle monster was as strong as a bull, and I don’t know what hemight have done to me had not an elderly man who was clearlyin authority been attracted to the room by the hubbub; He said afew stern words in Dutch, and my persecutor shrank away. Thenhe turned upon me, gazing at me in the utmost amazement.
“ ‘How in the world did you come here?’ he asked in amazement.
‘Wait a bit! I see that you are tired out and that wounded shoulderof yours wants looking after. I am a doctor, and I’ll soon have youtied up. But, man alive! you are in far greater danger here than everyou were on the battlefield. You are in the Leper Hospital, and youhave slept in a leper’s bed.’