ByelevenamessengerarrivedfromBalesunavillage，dispatchedbySeelee。TheJessiehadgoneashorehalf-waybetweenthevillageandNealIsland。Itwasnottillnightfallthattwoofthecrewarrived，reportingthedrowningofCaptainOlesonandoftheoneremainingboy。AsfortheJessie，fromwhattheytoldhimSheldoncouldnotbutconcludethatshewasatotalloss。Furthertoheartenhim，hewastakenbyashiveringfit。Inhalfanhourhewasburningup。Andheknewthatatleastanotherdaymustpassbeforehecouldundertakeeventhesmallestdoseofquinine。Hecrawledunderaheapofblankets，andalittlelaterfoundhimselflaughingaloud。Hehadsurelyreachedthelimitofdisaster。
Barringearthquakeortidal-wave，theworsthadalreadybefallenhim。TheFlibberty-GibbetwascertainlysafeinMboliPass。Sincenothingworsecouldhappen，thingssimplyhadtomend。Soitwas，shiveringunderhisblankets，thathelaughed，untilthehouse-
boys，withheadstogether，marvelledatthedevilsthatwereinhim。
CHAPTERIV——JOANLACKLAND
Bytheseconddayofthenorthwester，Sheldonwasincollapsefromhisfever。Ithadtakenanunfairadvantageofhisweakstate，andthoughitwasonlyordinarymalarialfever，inforty-eighthoursithadrunhimaslowastendaysoffeverwouldhavedonewhenhewasincondition。ButthedysenteryhadbeensweptawayfromBerande。