'Some coolies came to my estate and said the chinks had killed Prynne and burned the bally place down, so I took my assistant and my head overseer and a Dutch friend I had staying with me and came over to see what the trouble was.'
Captain Stratton opened his eyes wide.
'Did you just stroll in as if it was a picnic?' he asked.
'Well, you don't think after all the years I've been in this country I'm going to let a couple of hundred chinks put the fear of God into me?
I found them all scared out of their lives.
One of them had the nerve to pull a gun on me and I blew his bloody brains out.
And the rest surrendered.
I've got the leaders tied up.
I was going to send a boat down to you this morning to come up and get them.'
Stratton stared at him for a minute and then burst into a shout of laughter.
He laughed till the tears ran down his face.
The Dutchman looked at him angrily, then began to laugh too; he laughed with the big belly laugh of a very fat man and his coils of fat heaved and shook.
Alban watched them sullenly.
He was very angry.
'What about Prynne's girl and the kids?' he asked.
'Oh, they got away all right.'
It just showed how wise he had been not to let himself be influenced by Anne's hysteria.
Of course the children had come to no harm.
He never thought they would.
Van Hasseldt and his little party started back for the timber camp, and as soon after as possible Stratton embarked his twenty Sikhs and leaving Alban with' his sergeant and his policemen to deal with the situation departed for Port Wallace.
Alban gave him a brief report for the Governor.
There was much for him to do.
It looked as though he would have to stay for a considerable time; but since every house on the estate had been burned to the ground and he was obliged to install himself in the coolie lines he thought it better that Anne should not join him. He sent her a note to that effect.
He was glad to be able to reassure her of the safety of poor Prynne's girl.
He set to work at once to make his preliminary inquiry.
He examined a host of witnesses.
But a week later he received an order to go to Port Wallace at once. The launch that brought it was to take him and he was able to see Anne on the way down for no more than an hour.
Alban was a trifle vexed.
'I don't know why the Governor can't leave me to get things straight without dragging me off like this.
It's extremely inconvenient.'
'Oh, well, the Government never bothers very much about the convenience of its subordinates, does it?' smiled Anne.
'It's just red-tape.
I would offer to take you along, darling, only I shan't stay a minute longer than I need.
I want to get my evidence together for the Sessions Court as soon as possible.
I think in a country like this it's very important that justice should be prompt.'
When the launch came in to Port Wallace one of the harbour police told him that the harbour-master had a chit for him.
It was from the Governor's secretary and informed him that His Excellency desired to see him as soon as convenient after his arrival.
It was ten in the morning.
Alban went to the club, had a bath and shaved, and then in clean ducks, his hair neatly brushed, he called a rickshaw and told the boy to take him to the Governor's office.
He was at once shown in to the secretary's room.
The secretary shook hands with him.
'I'll tell HE you're here,' he said. 'Won't you sit down?'
The secretary left the room and in a little while came back.
'HE will see you in a minute.
Do you mind if I get on with my letters?'
Alban smiled.
The secretary was not exactly come-hither.
He waited, smoking a cigarette, and amused himself with his own thoughts.
He was making a good job of the preliminary inquiry. It interested him.
Then an orderly came in and told Alban that the Governor was ready for him.