Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-11-05
WOURALI.

unes, but we can't quite swallow that"
Perhaps" suggested the major,
"Maclay refers to state of alcoholic
saturatlon. l have heard"
"Shut up, major" interrupted High
field. 'Don't be feeble"
20, all right" said Mackay. "only
you said it was my turn for a yarn;
but, Of course, if"
''Fire away, Mac; never mind the
his own tales are bested. Wen be-
lieve you. Observe the child-liRe innO-
cence of our countenances."
Every well, then, you shall have the
yarn. 1t happened out in British
Guiana. Phil Egerton and had been
knocking about that district in a yacht.
Phil was q bit of scientist; had DAD
bled in the Ologies when he was at OK
ford, and he found something TO IN
terest him In the shallow waters roun9
the coast. The buckets of mud and
Shiny things he fished up weren't very
exciting for me, so put In a good deal
of time hanging round the bars and
billiard rooms of Georgetown. Poker
is a good game in the other hemls-
pheCe. You fellows don't rise to its
possibilities here" -,
take you on a half-a-sov. ante"
interrupted the Major.
"NO, thanks, Major. You've been
there, I know. l bar you"
II don't think 1 could mention a
place." continued Mackey, that I've
spent more than q month In myself
without contriving to make a fool Of
myself over some girl. She was a
barmaid this time, and she was
pretty. We called her "The Queen"
and 1 never knew her by any other
name. What nationality she be-
longed to l can't tell you. l think she
had a dash of most Of them in her;
but English, Spanish and Indian were,
perhaps, the most prominent-English
in business, Spanish in love, but pure,
undiluted Indian in hate. She was a
dangerous mixture, but you've no no
ton how fascinating! l wasn't by any
means the only fellow who succumbed
to her charms; but believe | was the
only one she cared gin cocktail about.
You'll admit that the position had Its
dangers. OF course, knew perfectly
we'll that 1 was making an ass Of my
self; but couldn't help it. The only
thing for me to do was to bolt. II l
stayed another week l should marry
her, and then there'd be the deuce to
pay"
"Look here, Egerton,' 1 said, one
night, you've got to take me away
from here. Leave those COMPOUNDED
weeds of yours, and let's weigh anchor
and be off,
What's the matter, MacY said Egg
erton. Got the fidgets? I'm sorry,
old man, but I've discovered n new
sDecies among these said weeds, and
want to work 1t up
"Well, Phil, my boy, If you won't
leave, you'll have to be my best man,
that's ALL
"That frightened him bit. told
j lin the whole story, and he saw there
~was no time to be lost If he was to be
saved. Phil EgertOn knew me pretty
well in those days.
"T'll tell you what Wen do, Mac,
he said. You know Wilson, the sugar
planter He tells me there is some cap
ital shooting to be had in the interior;
any dLlOunl VI DlluO anu a olAtAJ
chance at jaguar or two. He's go
ing to have month Of it, and has
asked me to join him. We can take
the yachts boat and go up to Dema-
rara until we strike the woods. What
do you sayP
"'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 soon as we
could get ready.
"Of course, any sensible man in my
position would have had the common
prudence to employ the intervening
time In cleaning his guns and looking
out various odds and ends for the eX-
petition; but, as l tell you, where wO-
men are concerned, I'm not to be
counted in the class of sensible men,.
1 went to see The Queen and natural
" she wormed the whole thing out Of
me.
"Phil,' 1 said, when got back, If
we can't start tomorrow, we needn't
start at all. 1t would spoil the party
If l took wife with me-
owen start tonight, If you like,
Mac. Pm ready; and If Wilson isn't,
he can follow us. But what's the hur-
ry? You haven't told her you're 60
ing, have your
eyes, have; and that's why 1t
won't do for me to stay here any long
err
"'Well, Mac, of all the laundering
idiots 1t has been my privilege to
know, do think you're about the big
gest. Why on earth can't you vanish
quietly, and leave her to find out about
it afterwardP
"T meant to; but when started
talking to her, out it came
What possessed you to go there at
all to-dayP
"'Oh, come, Phil, be reasonable.
You couldn't have kept away yourself,
if you had been in my place
You had a scene, suppose?
"'Well, slightly. She accused me of
wanting to get rid of her, trying to run
away, in fact; and, as it was perfectly
true, fancy l didn't show up very !
we'll in the argument that followed |
oh, you great, bearded infant; put |
your hat on, and we'll go and see Will
son at once
"We started next morning. I was
feeling bit hipped, of course, but the
others were jolly enough.
"As | think. l told you, Phil had q
weakness for potterlng about in scien-
tific messes, and he found a kindred
spirit in Wilson, whose hobby was
birds. 1t was really to get some speci-