The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-25
PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
THE FIEND OF THE C0OPERACE
BY A. CONAN DOYLE,
copyright. 1888. by A. Conan Doyle,

\ dNOul lHiS DuliulilSs w yOu.
| / looked around at the high corrugated
iron roof, the white wooden walls and the
earthen floor In one corner lay mattress
and a blanket.
| Il see nothing very alarming" said I.
"And yet there's something out of the
common. too" he remarked. You see that
| bed? Well, intend to sleep there tonight
/ don't want to buck. but 1 think it's bit
| CT a test for nerve"
"Why?"
"Oh, there have been some funny goings
on. You were talking about the monotony
| of our lives, but l assure you that they
! are sometimes quite exciting as we wish
them to be. You'd better come back to the
| house now for after shutdown we begin to
get the fever-fog up from the marshes.
| There, you can see it coming across the
| river"
| looked and saw long tentacles of white
vapor writing out from among the thick
green underwood and crawling at us over
the broad swirling surface of the brown
river. At the same time the air turned sud-
/ denly dank and cold.
There's the dinner gong" said the doc
tor. eff this matter interests you I'll tell
| you about it afterwards"
1t did interest me very much, for there
1
I manner as he stood in the empty cooperage
which appealed very forcibly to my magma
| ton. He was big, bluff hearty man, this
| doctor, and yet / had detected a curious
| expression in his eyes as he glanced about
| him-an expression which would not de-
| scribe as one of fear, but rather that of a,
| man who is alert and on his guard.
| by the way" said /, we returned to
| the house, you have shown me the huts
| of a good many of your native assistants,
| but I have not seen any of the natives
| themselves"
| They sleep in the hulk over yonder." the
| doctor answered. pointing over to one Of the
banks.
Indeed. I should not have thought in
that case that they would need the huts'
| "Oh, they used the huts until quite re-
Gently. We've put them on the hulk until
they recover their confidence little. They
were all half mad with fright. so we let
| them go, and nobody sleeps on the island
except Walker and myself
| What frightened them?" asked.
We'll that brings us back to the same
story. / suppose Walker has no objection
to your hearing all about it, don't know
why we should make any secret about it,
though it is certainly pretty bad business
He made no further allusion to it during
the excellent dinner which had been pre-
| pared In my honor 1t appeared that no
sooner had the little white topsail of the
"Gamecock' shown round Cape Lopez than
these kind fellows had begun to prepare
4 their famous pepper-pot-whch is the pun
gent stew peculiar to the West Coast-and
to boil their yams and sweet potatoes. We
sat down to as good native dinner as one
| could wish. served by a smart Sierra Leone
waiting boy. 1 was just remarking to my
self that he at least had not shared in the
general flight when, having laid the dessert
and wine upon the table, he raised his hand
to his turban.
"Anyting else do, Massa Walker?" he
asked.
mo, I think that is all right, Moussa,"
my host answered. IT am not feeling very
well tonight, though, and 1 should much
prefer If you would stay the island"
I saw a struggle between his fears and
his duty upon the swarthy face of the At
rican His skin had turned of that livid
purplish tint which stands for pallor in a
negro. and his eyes looked furtively about
him.
mo no, Massa Walker he cried, at last
"you better come to the hulk with me, sab.
Look after you much better in the hulk
sah"
THAT won't do, Moussa. White men don't
run away from the posts where they are
placed
Again I saw the passionate struggle in
the negro's face, and again his fears pre-
vailed.
mo use, Massa Walker, sah.' he cried.
"S'elp me, can't do it. If it was yesterday
or If it was tomorrow, but this is the
third night, sab, an it's more than I can
face"
Walker shrugged his shoulders.
"Off with you then" said he. when the
mail boat comes you get back to Sierra
Leone, for I'll have no servant who deserts
me when need him most. I suppose this is
all mystery to you, or has the doctor told
you. Captain Meldrum?''
81 showed Captain Medium the cooper
age, but did not tell him anything" said
DR.. Several. You're looking bad Walker,
he added, gIancing at his companion. You
have strong touch coming on you
Eyes, I've had the shivers all day, and
| now my head is like a cannon ball. took
4 ten grains of quinine, and my ears are sing
ing like a kettle. But / want to sleep with
you in the cooperage tonight
mo, no, my dear chap I won't hear of
such thing. You must go to bed at once.
and I am sure Medium will excuse you
1 shall sleep in the cooperage and promise
you that I'll be round with your medicine
before breakfast"
1t was evident that Walker had been
struck by one of those sudden and violent
attacks of remittent fever which are the
curse of the west coast. His salow cheeks
were flushed and his eyes shining with
fever. and suddenly as he sat there he be-
gan to Groom out song in the high-pitched
voice of delrium
Come, come, we must get you to bed, old
chap" said the DOCTOR and with my aid
he led his friend into his bedroom. There
we undressed him, and presently, after TAX
| ing a strong sedative, he settled down into
| a deep slumber.
Hes right for the night" said the doctor
as we sat down and filled out glasses once
more. Sometimes ii is my turn and some
times his, but, fortunately, we have never
| been down together / should have been
sorry to be out of it tonight, for have
little mystery to unravel. told you that
intended to sleep in the cooperage"
Yes. you said So"
when 1 said sleep I meant watch, for
there will be no sleep for me. We've had
such a scare here that no native will stay
after shutdown. and 1 mean to find out to-
night what the cause of 1t all may be-
1t has always been the custom for a ma
| tive Waterman to sleep in the cooperage
| to prevent the barrel hoops being stolen.