I shall have
nightmares for months to come, I know I shall. Ugh!--the horrid beasts!"
That night found them back in camp with Tudor, who, while improved, would
still have to be carried down on a stretcher. The swelling of the Poonga-
Poonga man's shoulder was going down slowly, but Arahu still limped on
his thorn-poisoned foot.
Two days later they rejoined the boats at Carli; and at high noon of the
third day, travelling with the current and shooting the rapids, the
expedition arrived at Berande. Joan, with a sigh, unbuckled her revolver-
belt and hung it on the nail in the living-room, while Sheldon, who had
been lurking about for the sheer joy of seeing her perform that
particular home-coming act, sighed, too, with satisfaction. But the home-
coming was not all joy to him, for Joan set about nursing Tudor, and
spent much time on the veranda where he lay in the hammock under the
mosquito-netting.
CHAPTER XXVI--BURNING DAYLIGHT
The ten days of Tudor's convalescence that followed were peaceful days on
Berande. The work of the plantation went on like clock-work. With the
crushing of the premature outbreak of Gogoomy and his following, all
insubordination seemed to have vanished. Twenty more of the old-time
boys, their term of service up, were carried away by the _Martha_, and
the fresh stock of labour, treated fairly, was proving of excellent
quality.
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