Shortly afterwards the little steamer whistled again and left the
quay.
Frederick remained silent for some time as befits a man who has saved
a life, and then arose to have a look at Coleopteron and doubtless
to make himself better known to the little hero; but to his pained
surprise Coleopteron was not to be found. All over that palm he
searched in vain and on the floor; then suddenly he emitted a gurgling
sound and I saw that he was in the grip of deep emotion. There was a
look on his face I had never seen before, and I anxiously asked him
what had happened. For some time he could not speak, but stood gazing
vacantly into space. At last, with parched lips, he spoke.
"Look in the milk-jug!" he said, and sank into his chair.
For a moment I thought that Frederick had been poisoned, and then I
realised the truth, for there in the hot milk floated the corpse of
Coleopteron.
"Why did he do it?" pleaded Frederick with a break in his voice.
"Because," I replied, "you hadn't the sense to realise that he was
staking his all on catching that boat, and, instead of helping him,
you brought him back to where he started from.
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