THE EQUINOX
“Oh, you have been very ill for many days with brain-
fever. You must not speak too much.”
“What? Where is the coffin?”
“The negroes have it; they have carried it away into the
interior. But I suppose you are cured now?” he added in an
anxious tone.
I shall not repeat the conversation that ensued. Enough
to mention that I discovered the old sailor to be absolutely
mad. And being unable to persuade him that I was still
firmly convinced of being the cover of the lost coffin, I found
it better to agree with him. And soon he fell into the trap.
Hiding the longing after my box and its contents, the doll
and the skull and the mighty books, I spoke to him as if com-
pletely unconcerned about the loss, and unrolled a scheme for
civilising the natives. He told me of a little hut under the
canopy, where my two wives were waiting for my arrival, as
soon as I could get up and walk there.
He did not expect me to do so before a long while, but he
was wrong. Withacautious look around me, I began creeping
slowly towards him; and before he could call any one I had
jumped at his throat. I had my idea; and being a logical
man, I wanted to carry it out faithfully, without losing an
instant. We struggled a long time; and as I was getting
exhausted, I succeeded at last in taking his knife, and sank it
in his stomach.
It was not very pleasant for me to see his blood running
black and hot on the sand; but I had to perform this execu-
tion, owing to his obstinacy. It was safer to destroy my
understudy, as I had called him till then in my happy thoughts,
and try afterwards to get another one to fill his place. His
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