The white man singled out the weakest, and put him in the place just vacated by the corpse.

Also, he indicated the next weakest, telling him to wait for a place until the next man died.

Then, ordering one of the well men to take a squad from the field-force and build a lean-to addition to the hospital, he continued along the run-way, administering medicine and cracking jokes in _beche-de-mer_ English to cheer the sufferers.

Now and again, from the far end, a weird wail was raised.

When he arrived there he found the noise was emitted by a boy who was not sick.