The Dickinson press., 1896-10-31

interrupted Tue N1dJOCs
"No, thanks, Major. You've been
there, I know. I bar you"
II don't think I could mention a
place." continued Mackey. that I've
| spent more than a month In myself
without contriving to make a fool OF
myself over some girl. She was a
barmaid this time, and she was 8
pretty. We called her "The Queen"
and I never knew her by any other
name. What nationality she be-
ionged to l can't tell you. / think she
had a dash of most of them in her;
but English, Spanish and Indian were,
| PERTAINS. the most prominent-English
in business, Spanish in love, but pure,
undiluted Indian in hate. She was q
| 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 l believe l was the
| only one she cared q gin cocktail about.
| You'll admit that the position had Its
| dangers. OF course, I knew perfectly
we'll that I was making an ass OF my
self; but I couldn't help It. The only
thing for me to do was to bolt. 1t I
stayed another week I 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, Mac? said Egg
erton. Got the fidgets? I'm sorry,
old man, but I've discovered q new
! species among these said weeds, and I
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 q bit. I told
him the whole. story, and he saw there
was no time to be lost II he was to be
| saved. Phil Egerton knew me pretty
well in. those days.
"'I'll tell you what we'll 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 amount of birds and a stray
chance at a jaguar or two. He's go.
ing to have q month of 1t, and has
asked me to Join him. We cal take
the yachts boat and go up to Dema.
rara until we strike the woods. What
do you sayT
".Anything you like, so long as you
get me out Of this NESS
1--WE went in the morning and saw
Wilson about 1t. 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 I tell you, where wo
men are concerned, I'm not to bt
counted in the class of sensible men.
I went to see The Queen and natural
" she wOrned the whole thing out Of
me.
"cPhil,' I said, when I got back, II
we can't start tomorrow, we needn'
start ut all. It would spoil the party
IL I took q wife with me!
"sWell start tonight, IL you like
Mac. I'm ready; and IL Wilson isn't
he can follow us. But what's the hur
ry? You haven't told her you're 60
ing, have your .
ayes, / have; and that's why /
won't do for me to stay here any long
err
"swell, Mac, of all the thunderln,
idiots 1t has been my privilege t
know, I do think you're about the big
gest. Why on earth can't you vanis]
quietly, and leave her to find out abou
It afterwardY
"sI meant to; but when I starte'
talking 10 her, out it came.'
What possessed you to go there a
all to-dayT
".Oh, come, Phil, be reasonable
You couldn't have kept away yourself
II you had been in my place.
"'You had a scene, l suppose?
"'Well slightly. She accused me Q
wanting to get rid Of her, trying to ru
away, in fact; and, as it vas perfectl
true, l fancy I didn't show up yer
well in the argument that followed
"'Oh, you great, bearded infant; pr
your hat on, and we'll go and e Wi
son at once
I'VE started next morning. I wa
feeling a bit hipped, Of course, but til
others were jolly enough.
"As I think. / told you, Phil had
weakness for pottering about in sciel
tifc messes, and he found q kindre
spirit in Wilson, whose hobby we
birds. 1t was really to get some spec
mems that he had originally propose
the expedition.
".By the way, Wilson, said Phi
have you. managed to get hold of IN
!, curareY .
, "'Curare?' said Wilson. I don
, know it; what is itT
!, "tProbably 1t has got some oth'
/ lame out here. We call it curare
Oxford-1ndian arrow poison, yo
! know
: "tOh, you mean "wourali." No,
nn-sk on- <ho% I hovo ond AouSt fh1r
I want any, either. It isn't q sal
e p~laything.'
: ".Safe enough said Phil, so 10,
e as you haven't any cuts or scratch
on your hands,
!, "Fo1 heavens sake, shut up til
= scientific chop! I exclaimed. W.
u come out here to enjoy ourselves, n
. to talk like q COMPOUNDED British ass
citation meeting
"sPoor old Mac said Phil, 'wh
shall we talk about? Will billiards
Il or barmaidsY
".Drop it, PHIL I said; 4 don't wa
> to be a bear, but your jargon isn't We
interesting to q chap who hardly kno'
an ~1ogy from an ism. Let's 'ha
. something to eat
1--WE found q shady spot under sol
). bushes to have our meal In. We we
just lighting up afterward, and I "
holding the match to my pipe VIII
le something flashed onI IT the bust
70 and knocked the pipe out Of my mou
"'What's that said Phil, starti
le up.
Is ats a dagger I said. Just {
what's behind those bushes, you cha;
;" while I tie my handkerchief round t
hand. I've got a hit a scratch. II
The Queen let her 60. Thank goodne
she missed my face
" ut was the Queen They caul
81 sight Of her among the bushes. but {
got away all right. They didn't foil
3. her far, but came back to see II l v
hurt