Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-02-18


mand of a tiny steam ocean yacht, or
which l was also halloween. She was
broad in the beam, but of no great
draught-- the kind of vessel to
explore the big rivers of Africa with.
"Ahl sir, there is money to be made by
that sort of trade, and pleasure 10 be had,
too. What was my cargo? A very pretty
one, can assure you; it consisted Of ivory,
lions and leopards skins, gum. copal,
spices of all kinds, and, last but not least,
gold-dust."
an addition TO these oddments, I need
hardly tell you that we laid in a good store
of 'curios' and specimens of all kinds. 1t
was IN the collecting of these latter that
most of my enjoyment lay. We always
| filed up, however, with our paying cargo
first; then, leaving our yacht at anchor in
some cosy reach of the river-almost hid
den, perhaps, by the trees that overhung
the water-accompanied by one or two OF
search of the beautiful. Or we would
drop down the river, cross the bar, and,
putting out to sea, spend weeks in and
about the numerous lovely little lagoon
islands that lie everywhere near the coast
south of the equator"
Just at this point the seafarer appeared
| for time to forget entirely that he had
! promised story of adventure. He let him
self drift, as it were, hither and thither on
the tideway of his recollection; he gave
Memory the tiller-ropes to hold, and per-
mitted her to steer him wheresoever she
pleased.
II was strange to sit there in semi-dark-
ness and silence, buried beneath the snow,
on this bitter January night, and listen to
the graphic description which this stranger
had to give of far-o off sunny lands, of crys-
talline seas slumbering under MONDAY
heat, and rejecting the blues and puppies
of the skies above them; of coral islands
| fringed with green, that seemed to float
on the liquid horizon; of marine gardens,
wide and wild, deep down beneath the trans
lucent waters, where shells of every shade
and color, marvelously painted fishes, and
creeping things, grotesque and horrible, had
| their homes amid foliage forever gently wav-
! ing to and fro as if instinct with mysteri-
Gus kind of life; or in groves of sub-oceanic
| shrubs, whose very stems were opalcsccnt
and their branches and fronds radiant with
more than rainbow beauty; of the broad
| bosomed rivers rolling seaward from the in
teriors; and of the great forest-lands that
stretched like an ocean from horizon to hori-
zon, silent as the grave by day, awakening at
| night to shrek of wild bird and hungry roar
of lion. 1t was strange, l say, to listen to
descriptions of this kind in such a situation
strange, yet pleasant.
"The first mate of my little craft" con-
tinued the seafarer, "was a man whom
had always trusted. Judged physiognomic-
ally, none would have said that guile lurked
in that handsome, open face of his, with
| its laughing eyes of blue, and fair soft
beard. l know now why this fellow played
me false, and all / have to say is that if
| there be an excuse for such villainy as he
was guilty of, Lawson-that was his name
had it.
"Just at the bend of the River Lamoo,
some ninety odd miles from the sea, stands
beautiful little Portuguese village and set
tlement. 1t has its Governors house, its
few white inhabitants, its fortification, and
its small detachment of eoldiers. The uoods
and forests around are constantly secured
! by bands of armed Somali Indians, who
bear no goodwill TO either Portuguese or
English.
"My welcome to this little village had
been q very genuine one. Seated in the
hospitable and almost European like draw
ing room of my friend, Colonel Lucas, en-
| joying quiet game of draughts of an even
| ing, or listening to music, his daughter
who now sits beside us-presiding at the
piano or accompanying her own song with
| the sweet, dreamy notes of the guitar,
could seldom get myself to believe that We
were indeed in the center Of n savage and
all but hostile country. 1t was so, however.
| You had but to 90 to the veranda Of night
to hear the lions roar. Away over there, in
the depth of the gloomy forest, they lived
and prowled; and, too, on the plains and
| hillsides beyond the woods burned the
camp-fires of the Somalis-the most treach-
erous Indians that the earth holds"
81 know them well, 1 added.
II came in time to look upon the village
of Gil as my African home, and upon
Teresa there is something dearer than sis
ter. When my yacht was laden at last with
everything valuable and negotiable in New
York, used to be off, but in six months
times was sure to be back. For two whole
years never changed one of my officers or
men.
"Teresa has told me since that she used
to look out for me and count the days and
hours that must elapse before the week of
nv probable return. Well, YOU know, sir,
/ used always to bring her little presents of
plants and hower-seeds, the last new books,
and the latest music out.
Next to myself-don't think me vain in
saying so--Lawson was the most welcome
| guest at Colonel Lucas bungalow. / can
not even give Lawson the credit of not
knowing the state of my feelings toward
| Teresa, for, indeed, / had made him my
confidant. treated him almost as broth
er, and so too did Teresa. He had differ
ent kind of regard for her, and dare say
he came to look upon me as the only barrier
to his hopes and happiness.
y was much surprised one morning, just
before setting ont upon n long expedition
inland, to hear Lawson express wish to
become one of our party. He was usually
more inclined to enjoy the dolce far niente
than anything approaching to an active life
/ was not sorry to take him with me, how
over. He would be company, and, besides,
his servant, or boy, was an excellent guide
or bushman, and mine at that time was laid
up--ill.
"All went we'll with us; we bagged many
skins; we were well armed, and could deiy
the Somalis, whether by night or by day.
| The fifth day had been o very toilsome one,
and almost Immediately after supper 1
stretched myself with my feet to the camp
FIRE, and fell soundly asleep at once.
Treacheryl treachery! Whom ] awoke, sir,
all was dark; the fire was out; was alone
deserted. / shouted till hoarse. The
only response was the echo of my own voice
and the sullen roar of a lion at no great
| distance from me.
"I passed the night in danger and fear,
and was thankful when the stars gave place
to the sunlight. / am a fair woodsman,
and now commenced at once to follow the
easy trail left by Lawson and the treacher-
GUS negroes. went on and on eastward
all day. had no arms, and had TO feed as
the monkeys fed, on fruits and at night
took refuge in tree, where, fastened by
my scarf 10 bough, l slept, from sheer