At a good ten-pace distance from
the object Brown stopped and stared. The lamplight fell on two little
dots that gleamed. Brown stepped two paces nearer. Two deadly,
malicious human eyes blinked once, and then stared back at him.
"Does he never sleep?" asked Brown.
The Beluchi said something or other in a language that was full of
harsh hard gutturals, and the owner of the eyes chuckled. His voice
seemed to be coming from the tree itself, and there was nothing of
him visible except the cruel keen eyes that had not blinked once since
Brown drew nearer.
"Well?"
"Sahib, he does not answer."
"Tell him I'm tired of his not answering. Tell him that if he can't
learn to give a civil answer to a civilly put question I'll exercise
my authority on him!"
The Beluchi translated, or pretended to. Brown was not sure which,
for he was rewarded with nothing but another chuckle, which sounded
like water gurgling down a drain.
"Does he still say nothing?"
"Absolutely nothing, sahib."
Brown stepped up closer yet, and peered into the blackness, looking
straight into the eyes that glared at him, and from them down at the
body of the owner of them.
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