The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-05-23

VIZ NtAFt
Lock her. Egerion. + said one
night, you've got to take ms IVA
from here. Leave those confounded
weeds of yours ard let's weigh anchor
and be alF.
What's The matter. Mac7' said
kgcrfon. Got the hdgefss I'm sorry.
old man. but I've discovered a new
species among these said weeds. and i
want u work it up
Wen. Phil, my hoy, IL you womb
leave, you'u have to be my BEST man.
that's an
That frightened him 3 bit. \ told.
him The whole story, and he saw there
was no time 70 be lost i'll was to he.
saved, Phil Egerton knew me pretty
we'll IL those days.
III ten you what wen do, Mac,
ne said. You know Wilson, the sugar
planter. he tells me there is some cap
ital shooting to be had in the interior;
any amount Of birds and a chance at
stray 5aguar or two. Hes going
70 have 4 month Of it, and has asked
me to join him. We can take the
yachts boat and 60 up the Demerara
until we strike the woods. What do
you sayg
anything you like, SO long as you
get me out Of this mess
I'VE went in the morning and saw
Wilson about it. He was delighted.
and said he would start as o as we
could get ready.
"Of course any sensible man in ny
position would have had the common
prudence to employ the intervening
time il cleaning his guns and looking
out for various odds and ends for the
expedition, but, as I tell you, where
women are concerned I'm not to be
counted in the class of sensible men.
I went to see The Queen, and natural
~ she woFmed the whole thing out Of
me.
Phil" I said, when ! got back, IF
we can't start tomorrow we needn't
go at all. 1t would spoil the party if
I took q wife with me.
Wen start tonight if you like,
Mac. I'm ready; and if Wilson isn't,
he car follow us. But what's the hurry?
You haven't told her you're going, have
you9'
Yes, I have, and that's why it won't
do for me to stay here longer
We'll, Mac, of all the laundering
idiots it has been my privilege to know,
4 do think you're about the biggest.
Why on earth couldn't You vanish
quietly and leave her to find out about
it afterwardsg
81 meant to, but when / started
talking to her, out it gil came.
What possessed you to 60 there at
all to-dayg
oh, come, Phil, be reasonable.
You couldn't have kept away your
SEN, if you'd been ii my place.
You had . scene, / suppose2'
Wei, slightly. She accused me Of
wanting 70 get nd Of her, trying to run
away, il fact; and as it was perfectly
trues / fancy 1 didn't show up very
well in the argument that followed.
"s0h. you great bearded infant; put
your bat on and well 60 and see VIII
son at once
we started next morning. / was
feeling a bit hipped, Of course, but the
others were jolly enough. AS / think
I told you, Phil had a weakness for
p~ottering about in scientific messes,
and he found a kindred spirit in Will
son, whose hobby was birds. 1t was
really to get some specimens that he
had originally proposed this expedi-
ton.
"sBy the way, Wilson, said Phil,
have you ever managed to get hold
of any curare2'
sCurareY said Wilson. 4 don't
know it; what is it?'
Probably it has got some other
name out here. We called it curare in
Oxford-lndian arrow poison, you
know
"Ohi You mea @wourali." No, /
can't say / have, and I don't think /
want to, either. It isn't a very safe
pInything.
Safe enough said Phil, $50 long as
you haven't any cuts or scratches on
your hands.
"'For Heavens sake, shut up that
scientific shopl' T exclaimed. We've
come out here to enjoy ourselves, not
10 GhRh like y DT4t4SA ESSO-
citation meeting
Poor old Mac!' said Phil, what
shall we talk about? VIII billiards do
-or barmaids2'
" Drop it, Phil / said; 7 don't want
to be a bear, but your jargon isn't very
interesting to a chap who hardly knows
an ology from an ism. Let's have
something to eat,
aWe found a shady spot under some
bushes to have meal in. We were
just lighting up afterwards, and / was
holding the match to my pipe when
something flashed out Of the bushes
and knocked the pipe out Of my mouth.
What's that3' said Phil, starting
UP.
It's a dagger. 1 said. Just see
what's behind those bushes, you chaps,
while I tie my handkerchief round this
hand. I've got q bit Of q scratch, If
Us The Queen. let her go. Thank
goodness she missed my face.
1T was The Queen They caught
sight Of her among the bushes, but she
got away all right. They didn't follow
her far. but came back to see II twas
much hurt.