The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1896-04-14
IN BRITISH GUIANA.

"Oh, come, Mao, that's too much
The major has given us some pretty
tall ones, but we can tauite swallow
that"
Perhaps" suggested the major,
'Mackay refers to state of alco
holic saturation. / have heard
''Shnt up, majorr' interrupted
Highfeld. Don't be feeble"
"Oh, all right" said Maokay.
only you said it was my turn for a
yarn, but of course IT,
"Fireaway, Mac Never mind the
major. He's an unbelieving Jew
when his own tales are bested. Well
believe you. Observe the ohildlike
innocence of our countenances.
Very well, then, you shall have
the yarn.
II happened out in British Gui-
ana. Phil Egerton and / had been
knocking about that district in a
yacht. Phil was bit of scientist,
had dabbled in the ologies when he
was at Oxford. and he found some-
thing to interest him in the shallow
waters round the coast. The buckets
of mud and Shiny things he fished
up weren't very exciting for me, so
put in good deal of time hanging
round the bars and billiard rooms
OF Georgetown. Poker is a good
game in the other hemisphere. You
fellows don't rise to it's possibilities
here
Take you on at half a soy. ante"
interrupted the major
mo, thanks, major. You've been
there, ! know. bar you"
Il don't think I could mention the
place." continued Mackay, "that
I've spent more than a month in
without continuing to make a fool
of myself over some girl. She was a
barmaid this time, and, by JoveI
she was pretty. We called her The
Queen, and ! never knew her by
any other name. What nationality
she belonged to can't tell you.
think she had 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. 1t was dangerous
mixture, but you've no notion how
fascinating. I wasn't by any means
the only fellow who succumbed to
her charms, but / believe I was the
only one she cared a gin cocktail
about. You'll admit that the posi-
ton had its dangers. Of course /
knew perfectly well that was MAX
ing an ass OF myself, but / couldn't /
help it. The only thing for me to do
was to bolt. If / staid another week
/ should marry her, and then there'd |
be the deuce to pay.
"'Look here, Egerton, said one
night. You've got to take me away
from here. Leave those COMPOUNDED
weeds of yours and let's weigh an
chor and be off.
What's the matter, Mao?' said
Egerton. Got the fidgets? I'm sor-
ny, old man, but I've discovered q
new species among these said weeds,
and ! want to work it up
"'Well, Phil, my boy, if you
won't leave, you'll have to be my
best man, that's all.
"That frightened him a bit. I
told him the whole story, and he
saw there was no time to be lost if I
was to be saved. Phil Egerton knew
me pretty well in those days. I
9TH tell you what We'll do, Mao
be said. you know Wilson, the sug- '
ar planter. He tells me there is !
some capital shooting to be had in
the interior. Any amount of birds
md a chance at stray jaguar or
two. He's going to have month of !
t, and has asked me to join him.
We can take the yachts boat and ,
20 up the Demerara until we strike t
he woods. What do you say?' q
Anything you like, so long as
you get me out of this mess. a
"We went in the morning and saw o
wilson about it. He was delighted,
md said he would start as soon as v
We could get ready. I
"Of course any sensible man in
ny position would have had the b
ommon prudence to employ the in Il
ervening time in cleaning his guns S,
nd looking out various odds and "
nds for the expedition; but, as tell @,
'ou, where women are concerned a,
IN not to be counted in the class of N
ensible men. went to see The q
queen, and naturally she wormed r.
be whole thing out of me. II
Phil, ! said, when / go back, Of
{ We can't start tomorrow we ST