'Yep. My real name's Neal.'
'That's a nice name.'
'So's Annette. I'm crazy about Annette.'
'You like the name?'
'Yes, and the girl, too—I like the girl a lot.' He reached over and took her hand and drew her toward him.
'No, you must not do that,' she said sharply, and pulled away; and then suddenly she cried out, 'oh, look, look,' and pointed.
Brown looked up in the direction that she indicated. Blazing against the dark background of the forest were two yellow-green points of flame.
Annette moved quickly toward him and pressed against his side. 'What is it?' she whispered in a frightened voice.
'Don't be scared, honey; it's only looking at us. That won't hurt us none.'
'What is it?' she demanded.
'I've seen cow's eyes shine like that in the dark,' he said; 'it might be a cow.'
'But you know it's not a cow. There are no cows in the jungle. You just say that so that I will not be frightened.'
'Well, now that you mention it, maybe there ain't no cows in the jungle; but whatever it is, I'm going to frighten it away.' He stooped over and gathered a stick from the fire; one end of it was blazing. Then he stood up and hurled it at the burning eyes.
There was a shower of sparks, an angry growl, and the eyes disappeared.
'That fixed him,' he said. 'See how easy it was?'
'Oh, you are so very brave, Neal.'
He sat down beside her; and this time, he boldly put an arm about her.
She sighed and snuggled closer to him. 'A nice girl should not do this,' she said, 'but it make me feel so safe.'
'You never was less safe in your life, girlie,' said Brown.
'You think the eyes will come back?' she asked, with a shudder.
'I was not thinking about eyes, girlie.'
'Oh.'
It was long after three o'clock before Brown thought to awaken Sborov. When the prince came into the firelight, he was nervous and ill at ease.
'Did you see or hear anything during the night?' he asked.
'Something came up and looked at us,' said Brown; 'but I threw some fire at it, and it beat it.'
'Everything all right in camp?' he asked.
'Sure,' said Brown, 'everything's O.K.'
'I slept so soundly that anything might have happened,' said the prince. 'I never knew a thing from the time I lay down until you awakened me.'
'Well, I guess I'll go tear off a few yards myself,' said the pilot, 'and you better go back in and try to get some sleep, girlie.'
They walked together the few paces to the shelter. She shuddered a little. 'I hate to go back in there,' she said. 'I do not understand why, but I just dread it.'
'Don't be silly,' he said. 'There ain't nothing going to hurt you. That dream got your nanny.'
'I do not know what is my nanny,' she replied, 'and I am not so certain it was a dream.'
'Well, you run along like a good girl; and I'll sleep with one eye open. If you hear anything, call me.'
It was daylight when Brown was awakened by a piercing scream from the adjoining shelter.
'My word!' exclaimed Tibbs. 'What was that?' But Brown was already on his feet and running to the women's quarters. He saw Sborov standing by the fire, ashen-grey in the morning light. His lower jaw drooped loosely; his eyes were staring, fixed upon the hut in which the women slept.
Brown collided with Annette, who was running from the hut as he started to enter.
'Oh, Neal,' she cried, 'it was no dream. Something horrible happened in there last night.'
He brushed past her and went into the hut. Jane was standing in horrified silence, gazing down at the Princess Sborov.
'God!' exclaimed Brown. Kitty Sborov was dead, her skull split wide.
'How horrible,' breathed Jane. 'Who could have done this thing?'
Tibbs joined them. He remained silent and unmoved in the face of this gruesome discovery, always the perfect servant.
'Where is the prince?' asked Jane.
'He was on guard,' said Brown. 'He was standing there by the fire when I came in.'
'Somebody will have to tell him,' she said.
'I reckon it won't be no news to him,' said Brown.
Jane looked up at him quickly. 'Oh, he couldn't!' she cried.
'Well, who could, then?' demanded the pilot.
'If you wish, Milady,' suggested Tibbs, 'I will inform his 'ighness.'
'Very well, Tibbs.'
The man stepped out into the open. The prince was still standing gazing at the hut; but when he saw Tibbs coming toward him, he gathered himself together.
'What's the matter in there?' he asked. 'What was Annette screaming about?'
'Something has happened to her 'ighness—she's—she's dead.'
'What?—Who?—It can't be possible. She was quite all right when she went to bed last night.'
'She has been murdered, your 'ighness,' said Tibbs, 'oh, so 'orribly!'
'Murdered!' He still stood where he was, making no move to approach the hut. He watched Jane and Brown emerge and come toward him.
'It is horrible, Alexis,' said Jane. 'I can't imagine who could have done it, nor why.'
'I know who did it,' he said, excitedly. 'I know who did it and I know why.'
'What do you mean?' demanded Jane.
Alexis pointed a trembling finger at Brown. 'Last night I heard that man tell Tibbs to kill her. One of them must have done it, and I don't believe that it was Tibbs.'
'Prince Sborov, I don't believe that it was either one of them,' said Jane.
'Ask Tibbs if he didn't tell him to kill her,' cried Sborov.
Jane looked questioningly at Tibbs.
'Well, Milady, Mr. Brown did suggest that I 'bump her off'; but it was only by way of being a joke, Milady.'
'How was she killed?' asked the prince.
Jane looked puzzled. 'Why—why, it must have been with the hatchet. Where is the hatchet?'
'Find the hatchet, and you'll have the murderer,' said Sborov.
'But suppose he threw it away?' asked Jane.
'He couldn't have thrown it away. I've been on guard here since three o'clock, and nobody entered your part of the shelter after Annette went in after I came on guard. Whoever did it, probably hid it.'
'It happened before you went on guard,' said Annette. 'It happened before Mr. Brown went on guard. It was that that awakened me; I know it now; and when I thought she was moaning in her sleep and snoring, she was really dying—it was the death rattle. Oh, how horrible!'
'Just when was that, Annette?' asked Jane.
'It was while Tibbs was on guard and about half an hour before Mr. Brown went on. I couldn't get back to sleep, and I went out and joined him. I sat up with him until he awoke the prince.'
Jane turned to Tibbs. 'Was Mr. Brown asleep when you went in to wake him at midnight?' she asked.
'Yes, Milady,' replied Tibbs.
'How do you know?'
'Well, I could tell by his breathing for one thing; and then I had difficulty in arousing him.'
