The trooper continued its course through the Indian Ocean. Down belowin the floating hospital other death-scenes went on. On deck there wascarelessness of health and youth. Round about, over the sea, was avery feast of pure sun and air.

　　In this fine trade-wind weather, the sailors, stretched in the shadeof the sails, were playing with little pet parrots and making them runraces. In this Singapore, which they had just left, the sailors buyall kinds of tame animals. They had all chosen baby parrots, withchildish looks upon their hooknose faces; they had no tails yet; theywere green, of a wonderful shade. As they went running over the cleanwhite planks, they looked like fresh young leaves, fallen fromtropical trees.

　　Sometimes the sailors gathered them all together in one lot, when theyinspected one another funnily; twisting about their throats, to beseen under all aspects. They comically waddled about like so many lamepeople, or suddenly started off in a great hurry for some unknowndestination; and some fell down in their excitement. And there weremonkeys, learning tricks of all kinds, another source of amusement.

　　Some were most tenderly loved and even kissed extravagantly, as theynestled against the callous bosoms of their masters, gazing fondly atthem with womanish eyes, half-grotesque and half-touching.

　　Upon the stroke of three o'clock, the quartermasters brought on decktwo canvas bags, sealed with huge red seals, bearing Sylvestre's name;for by order of the regulati............