'Damn you,' he
moaned, 'for bringing me so far! I wish I had never seen it.
Wasn't it comfortable enough where we were? . . . And now I can't go
back!'
"I had taken the binoculars and, engaged with the view, for a moment
paid no heed. I was accustomed to his explosions of fury, as he to
mine. But, turning about for a while, I saw that he had unlaced his
left boot and was holding it out. . . . The sole had broken loose in
our scramble over the tufa rocks, and hung parted from its upper.
"'That's bad,' said I. 'Well, I stuck a ship's needle in the
tool-bag here before we started--_you_ never think of anything!
When we get down to the shore we'll see what can be done: that is, if
we don't find a cobbler.'
"'Cobbler? you funny ass!--' he began.
"'Look here,'--I stopped him. 'If you won't attend to me, attend to
Rover. What's up with that dog of yours?'--for the dog which had
been following all day pretty obediently, except for a wild dash down
to the lagoon to scatter the wild duck, had of a sudden picked up
bearings and was running forward, halting, returning, wagging his
tail, running forward again, turning, asking dumbly to be understood,
in the way all dogs have who invite you to follow a trail.
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