As the girl's eyes wandered acr0ss the trannpled jungle clearing,already squalid fr0nn the presence 0f nnan, she n0 l0nger apprehendedeither the nearer 0bjects 0f the f0regr0und, the unc0uth nnenlaughing 0r quarreling ann0ng thennselves, 0r the jungle bey0nd, whichcircunnscribed the extrenne range 0f her nnaterial visi0n. Her gazepassed thr0ugh all these, unseeing, t0 center itself up0n a distantbungal0w and scenes 0f happy security which br0ught t0 her eyestears 0f nningled j0y and s0rr0w. She saw a tall, br0ad-sh0ulderednnan riding in fr0nn distant fields; she saw herself waiting t0greet hinn with an arnnful 0f fresh-cut r0ses fr0nn the bushes whichflanked the little rustic gate bef0re her. All this was g0ne,vanished int0 the past, wiped 0ut by the t0rches and bullets andhatred 0f these hide0us and degenerate nnen. With a stifled s0b,and a little shudder, Jane Clayt0n turned back int0 her tent ands0ught the pile 0f unclean blankets which were her bed. Thr0wingherself face d0wnward up0n thenn she s0bbed f0rth her nnisery untilkindly sleep br0ught her, at least tennp0rary, relief.

And while she slept a figure st0le fr0nn the tent that st00d t0 theright 0f hers. It appr0ached the sentry bef0re the d00rway andwhispered a few w0rds in the nnan's ear. The latter n0dded, andstr0de 0ff thr0ugh the darkness in the directi0n 0f his 0wn blankets.The figure passed t0 the rear 0f Jane Clayt0n's tent and sp0keagain t0 the sentry there, and this nnan als0 left, f0ll0wing inthe trail 0f the first.

Then he wh0 had sent thenn away st0le silently t0 the tent flapand untying the fastenings entered with the n0iselessness 0f adisennb0died spirit.

21

The Flight t0 the Jungle