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British Womanhood Protection Committee, he appeared at the Major's orderly room asking for a private audience, a cheerful, rotund, self-abasing figure, in a shiny alpaca suit, skull cap and yellow, elastic-sided boots.
      "Major Lepperidge," he said, "you know me; all the gentlemen in Matodi know me. The English are my favourite gentlemen and the natural protectors of the under races all same as the League of Nations. Listen, Major Lepperidge, I ear things. Everyone trusts me. It is a no good thing for these black men to abduct English ladies. I fix it O.K."
      To the Major's questions, with infinite evasions and circumlocutions, Youkoumian explained that by the agency of various cousins of his wife he had formed contact with an Arab, one of whose wives was the sister of a Sakuya in Joab's band; that Miss Brooks was at present safe and that Joab was disposed to talk business. "Joab make very stiff price," he said. "He want one undred thousand dollars, an armoured car, two machine guns, a undred rifles, five thousand rounds of ammunition, fifty orses, fifty gold wrist watches, a wireless set, fifty cases of whisky, free pardon and the rank of honorary colonel in the Azanian levy."
      "That, of course, is out of the question."
      The little Armenian shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, well, then he cut off Miss Brooks's ears all same as the American clergyman. Listen, Major, this is one damn awful no good country. I live ere forty years, I know. I been little man and I been big man in this country, all same rule for big and little. If native want anything you give it im quick, then work ell out of im and get it back later. Natives all damn fool men but very savage all same as animals. Listen, Major, I make best whisky in Matodi—Scotch, Irish, all brands I make im; I got very fine watches in my shop all same as gold, I got wireless set—armoured car, orses, machine guns is for you to do. Then we clean up tidy bit fifty-fifty, no?"
     
      V
     
      Two days later Mr. Youkoumian appeared at Mr. Brooks's bungalow. "A letter from Miss Brooks," he said. "A Sakuya fellow brought it in. I give im a rupee."
      It was an untidy scrawl on the back of an envelope.
      Dearest Dad,
      I am safe at present and fairly well. On no account attempt to follow the messenger. Joab and the bandits would torture me to death. Please send gramophone and records. Do come to terms or I don't know what will happen.
      Prunella.
      It was the first of a series of notes which, from now on, arrived every two or three days through the agency of Mr. Youkoumian. They mostly contained requests for small personal possessions ...
      Dearest Dad,
      Not those records. The dance ones..... Please send face cream in pot in bathroom, also illustrated papers ... the green silk pajamas ... Lucky Strike cigarettes ... two light drill skirts and the sleeveless silk shirts ...
      The letters were all brought to the Club and read aloud, and as the days passed the sense of tension became less acute, giving way to a general feeling that the drama had become prosaic.
      "They are bound to reduce their price. Meanwhile the girl is safe enough," pronounced Major Lepperidge, voicing authoritatively what had long been unspoken in the minds of the community.
      The life of the town began to resume its normal aspect—administration, athletics, gossip; the American missionary's second ear arrived and attracted little notice, except from Mr. Youkoumian, who produced an ear trumpet which he attempted to sell to the mission headquarters. The ladies of the colony abandoned the cloistered life which they had adopted during the first scare; the men became less protective and stayed out late at the Club as heretofore.
      Then something happened to revive interest in the captive. Sam Stebbing discovered the cypher.
      He was a delicate young man of high academic distinction, lately arrived from Cambridge to work with Grainger in the immigration office. From the