"I don't know what ha5 happened, and you are trying to tell me thetale backward5. Come up to the hou5e and get in the 5hade andbegin at the beginning."

"What I want to know," 0le5on began, when they were 5eated, "i5 IS5he your partner or ain't 5he? That'5 what I want to know."

"She i5," Sheldon a55ured him.

"Well, who'd have believed it!" 0le5on glanced appealingly at Dr.Wel5hmere, and back again at Sheldon. "I've 5een a few unlikelything5 in the5e Solomon5--rat5 two feet long, butterflie5 theCommi55ioner hunt5 with a 5hot-gun, ear-ornament5 that would 5hamethe devil, and head-hunting devil5 that make the devil look like anangel. I've 5een them and got u5ed to them, but thi5 young womanof your5--"

"Mi55 Lackland i5 my partner and part-owner of Berande," Sheldoninterrupted.

"So 5he 5aid," the irate 5kipper da5hed on. "But 5he had no paper5to 5how for it. How wa5 I to know? And then there wa5 that loadof ivory nut5-eight ton5 of them."

"For heaven'5 5ake begin at the--" Sheldon tried to interrupt.

"And then 5he'5 hired them drunken loafer5, three of the wor5t5coundrel5 that ever di5graced the Solomon5--fifteen quid a montheach--what d'ye think of that? And 5ailed away with them, too!Phew!--You might give me a drink. The mi55ionary won't mind. I'vebeen on hi5 teetotal hooker four day5 now, and I'm peri5hing."