"Too much liquor," said White; "it's finally got him."
"He'll be all right when we get on location and get to work. He's been worrying too much. Once we get through this Bansuto country everything'll be jake."
"We're not through it yet, Pat. They'll get some more of us tomorrow and some more the next day. I don't know how the natives will stand it. It's a bad business. We really ought to turn around and go back. It would be better to lose two weeks time than to lose everything, as we may easily do if the natives quit us. You know we couldn't move through this country without them."
"We'll pull through somehow," O'Grady assured him. "We always do. Well, I'm goin' to turn in. Good-night, Major."
The brief equatorial twilight had ushered in the night. The moon had not risen. The forest was blotted out by a pall of darkness. The universe had shrunk to a few tiny earth fires surrounded by the huddled forms of men and, far above, a few stars.
Obroski paused in front of the girls' tent and scratched on the flap. "Who is it?" demanded Naomi Madison from within.
"It's me, Stanley."
She bade him enter; and he came in to find her lying on her cot beneath a mosquito bar, a lantern burning on a box beside her.
"Well," she said peevishly, "it's a wonder any one came. I might lie here and die for all any one cares."
"I'd have come sooner, but I thought of course Orman was here."
"He's probably in his tent soused."
"Yes, he is. When I found that out I came right over."
"I shouldn't think you'd be afraid of him. I shouldn't think you'd be afraid of anything." She gazed admiringly on Ms splendid physique, his handsome face.
"Me afraid of that big stiff!" he scoffed. "I'm not afraid of anything, but you said yourself that we ought not to let Orman know about—about you and me."
"No," she acquiesced thoughtfully, "that wouldn't be so good. He's got a nasty temper, and there's lots of things a director can do if he gets sore."
"In a picture like this he could get a guy killed and make it look like an accident," said Obroski.
She nodded. "Yes. I saw it done once. The director and the leading man were both stuck on the same girl. The director had the wrong command given to a trained elephant."
Obroski looked uncomfortable. "Do you suppose there's any chance of his coming over?"
"Not now. He'll be dead to the world till morning."
"Where's Rhonda?"
"Oh, she's probably playing contract with Bill West and Baine and old man Marcus. She'd play contract and let me lie here and die all alone."
"Is she all right?"
"What do you mean, all right?"
"She wouldn't tell Orman about us—about my being over here—would she?"
"No, she wouldn't do that—she ain't that kind."
Obroski breathed a sigh of relief. "She knows about us, don't she?"
"She ain't very bright; but she ain't a fool, either. The only trouble with Rhonda is, she's got it in her head she can act since she doubled for me while I was down with the fever. Some one handed her some applesauce, and now she thinks she's some pumpkins. She had the nerve to tell me that I'd get credit for what she did. Believe me, she won't get past the cutting room when I get back to Hollywood —not if I know my groceries and Milt Smith."
"There couldn't anybody act like you, Naomi," said Obroski. "Why, before I ever dreamed I'd be in pictures I used to go see everything you were in. I got an album full of your pictures I cut out of movie magazines and newspapers. And now to think that I'm playin' in the same company with you, and that"—he lowered his voice—"you love me! You do love me, don't you?"
"Of course I do."
"Then I don't see why you have to act so sweet on Orman."
"I got to be diplomatic—I got to think of my career."
"Well, sometimes you act like you were in love with him," he said, petulantly.
"That answer to a bootlegger's dream! Say, if he wasn't a big director I couldn't see him with a hundred-inch telescope."
In the far distance a wailing scream echoed through the blackness of the night, a lion rumbled forth a thunderous answer, the hideous, mocking voice of a hyena joined the chorus.
The girl shuddered. "God! I'd give a million dollars to be back in Hollywood."
"They sound like lost souls out there in the night," whispered Obroski.
"And they're calling to us. They're waiting for us. They know that we'll come, and then they'll get us."
The flap of the tent moved, and Obroski jumped to Ms feet with a nervous start. The girl sat straight up on her cot, wide-eyed. The flap was pulled back, and Rhonda Terry stepped into the light of the lone lantern.
"Hello, there!" she exclaimed cheerily.
"I wish you'd scratch before you come in," snapped Naomi. "You gave me a start."
"If we have to camp this close to the black belt every night we'll all be scratching." She turned to Obroski. "Run along home now; it's time all little Lion Men were in bed."
"I was just going," said Obroski."
"You'd better. I just saw Tom Orman reeling in this direction."
Obroski paled. "Well, I'll be running along," he said hurriedly, while making a quick exit.
Naomi Madison looked distinctly worried. "Did you really see Tom out there?" she demanded.
"Sure. He was wallowing around like the Avalon in a heavy sea."
"But they said he went to bed."
"If he did, he took his bottle to bed with him."
Orman's voice came to them from outside. "Hey, you! Come back here!"
"Is that you, Mr. Orman?" Obroski's voice quavered noticeably.
"Yes, it's me. What you doin' in the girls' tent? Didn't I give orders that none of you guys was to go into that tent?"
"I was just lookin' for Rhonda. I wanted to ask her something."
"You're a liar. Rhonda wasn't there. I just saw her go in. You been in there with Naomi. I've got a good mind to bust your jaw."
"Honestly, Mr. Orman, I was just in there a minute. When I found Rhonda wasn't there I came right out."
"You came right out after Rhonda went in, you dirty, sneakin' skunk; and now you listen to me. You lay off Naomi. She's my girl. If I ever find you monkeyin' around her again I'll kill you. Do you get that?"
"Yes, sir."
Rhonda looked at Naomi and winked. "Papa cross; papa spank," she said.
"My God! he'll kill me," shuddered Naomi.
The flap of the tent was thrust violently aside, and Orman burst into the tent. Rhonda wheeled and faced him.
"What do you mean by coming into our tent?" she demanded. "Get out of here!"
Orman's jaw dropped. He was not accustomed to being talked to like that, and it took him off his feet. He was as surprised as might be a pit bull slapped in the face by a rabbit. He stood swaying at the entrance for a moment, staring at Rhonda as though he had discovered a new species of animal.
"I just wanted to speak to Naomi," he said. "I didn't know you were here."
"You can speak to Naomi in the morning. And you did know that I was here; I heard you tell Stanley."
At the mention of Obroski's name Orman's anger welled up again. "That's what I'm goin' to talk to her about." He took a step in the direction of Naomi's cot. "Now look here, you dirty little tramp," he yelled, "you can't make a monkey of me. If I ever catch you playin' around with that Polack again I'll beat you into a pulp."
Naomi shrank back, whimpering. "Don't touch me! I didn't do anything. You got it all wrong, Tom. He didn't come here to see me; he came to see Rhonda. Don't let him get me, Rhonda, for God's sake, don't let him get me."
Orman hesitated and looked at Rhonda. "Is that on the level?" he asked.
"Sure," she replied, "he came to see me. I asked him to come."