The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-05-22

seemed intent on telling the story
did not interrupt him by saying SO.
"We had been cruising about in the
Mediterranean" he went on, "when
we were unexpectedly ordered to the
Bay of Lagos to overawe some miser.
able little tribe near the coast which had
not been behaving itself as q properly
regulated little tribe under the pro-
lection of the British Empire ought to
do. Kakoga's tribe, it was called,
and Kakoga came in for good share
of honest abuse from the officers and
men of the Dragon-hy, when our
orders came. The worst of it was, as
far as the officers and men were con-
cerned, that we were not at unity
among ourselves The engineer, called
Lashton, had been disappointed in
love, and was naturally morose in
consequence. What made him more
80 was the fact that his successful
rival was the Sub-Lieutenant, an aw-
fully nice fellow, and the only man
on board that / cared for. Lieuten-
ant Gilby had met Miss Callan at
Malta, and had become engaged to her
without the least idea that the en-
gineer had intentions that way. not
that it would have made any differ
ence to him if he had, / suppose.
Lashton's unconcealed enmity against
him made life on board pretty un-
pleasant, and divided us into two
cliques. The Lieutenant s clique, con-
sisting Of himself and me, certainly
had the liveliest time of it, for the
successful suitor OF Miss Callan was
the merriest fellow on earth, and
while we were in the Mediterranean
we suffered very little from the en-
gineer's hostility. But directly we
steamed off for Lagos a most remark.
able change came over my friend, and
he turned as taciturn as Lashton him
self.
'It puzzled me to discover the rea-
son, for though we were all sorry to
leave the Mediterranean, still it was
not like Gilby to sulk over it. He
could not see less of his fiancee than
he had been doing for two or three
months, and we had the prospect be-
fore us of small fight, for which he
had been wishing. Lashton suggested
to me in bis sinister way that it was
the prospect OF fighting which caused
the change in my friend, and though
l answered the suggestion in the tone
it deserved, still it seemed the only
explanation.
"Gilby said, when 1 asked him, that
it was the weather, and the irritation
with which he answered prevented me
continuing my inquiries, and made me
more than ever convinced that it was
funk, and very severe form of the
disease, too. In fact, he took very
little pains to conceal it.
81 hope to goodness that I shall
not have to go on shore, he said, when
we had nearly reached our destination.
Il wish the Commander would lead the
party, and leave me here to look after
the ship.
"I.is not likely, 1 answered, gruff-
ly, and was glad that Lashton was
not about to overhear him. l an
swered his next suggestion more gruif-
ly still.
" Il suppose you would not like to
certify that 1 ought to be on the sick
list, would you, Macpherson? he asked
me, hesitatihgly.
81 refused fatty.
'If he had told ,ne the true reason
of his fear l might have acted diff
ferently, for he looked i'll enough, poor
fellow His face had grown quito
white and was since we started.
1T looked winter still next day
when he had to ko in command of the
lsndlng party whlsh accompanied,
ri course,
,iWhsR We wEs fairly smbAyhSa sp