The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-04
tropical African forest.

- "'sn ~ htoth uuSuCu awe VI oupSI'
stitious respect ''lt is the ngina's
Hover. they said 1T grows in the
dark places--the gardens of the ngina
Ii any man breaks one off. that is very
bad luck The ngina will surely over.
take and destroy him."
This superstitious awe only infamed
my desire to possess root The ne
groes stories showed the moon flower
to be most unique species | gathered
from what they told me that the bios.
SONS had a very long spur. or sac. con.
tanning honey at its base in great guam
titles; that il was fertilized and rihed
by huge evening moth, whose pro-
boscis was exactly adapted in length to
the spur and its nectar that it was
creamy white in order to attract the
insects eyes in the gray shades of dusk.
and that, for the selfsame reason. its
petals were endowed with the strange
quality Of phosphorescence till now
unknown in the vegetable kingdom.
while it exhaled by night delicious
perfume, strong enough to be perceived
at some 20 yards distance. So great a
prize to man of my tastes was simply
Irresistible. made up my mind that.
come what might. must. could and
would possess tuber Of the moon
flower.
One fortnight sufficed for me to make
my final plans. Heavy bribes overcame
the scruples Of the negroes. The prom.
Use Of good rifle induced the finder of
the first specimen to take service with
me as a guide. Fully equipped for a
weeks march and well attended with
followers. all armed to the teeth, made
my start at last for the home of the
moon flower.
To cut long story short. we went
for three days into the primeval shade
Of the great equatorial African forest.
Dense roofs of foliage shut out the
light Of day. Underfoot the ground was
encountered with thick, tropical brush
wood. We crept along cautiously. hack
ing our way at times among the brake
with our cutlasses and crawling at
others Though the deep tangle of the
underbrush on all fours. like monkeys.
During all those three days we never
caught sight of a single moon flower.
They were growing very rare nova.
days. my guide explained in most
vOluble Fantee. When he was a mere
boy, his father found dozens of them,
but now--why. You must go miles and
miles through the depths of the forest
and never 80 much as light on a speci.
men.
At last. about noon on the fourth
day out, we came upon torrent. rusb.
ing with great velocity among huge
bowlders and sending up the spray of
it's boiling rapids into the trees Ut the
neighborhocd. sat down to rest,
meaning to mix the water from the
cool, fresh stream with a spoonful or
two of cognac from the flask in my
pocket. As ! drank il I tossed back my
head and looked up. Something on one
Of the trees hard by attracted my eyes
strangely. A parasite stood ont boldly
from fork of the branches. bearing a
long. 1.-the spray Of huge. luminous
flowers as big as dessert plates. My
heart gave a bound. The prize was
within sight. pointed my finger in
silence to the tree. All the negroes
with one voice raised loud shout Of
triumph. Their words rent the air
1.-The moon howeri The moon floweri'
felt myself for moment perfect
Stanley or Du Chaillu. had discovered
kI own to science.
n moment / had tossed off my
brandy. laid down my rifle and. mount.
ing on the back of one of my negro
pOrters. was swinging myself up to the
lowest branch Of {. tree. where my
new treasure shone resplendent in its
own dim phosphOrescence. couldn't t
have trusted any hand but my own to
pick or egg out of that glorious tuber
I meant to cut 1t bodily from the bark
as 1t stood and bear it back in triumph
in my own arms to Tulamba.
had climbed the tree cautiously,
and was standing almost within grasp
Of the prize when a sudden shout
among my followers below startled and
discomposed me. l looked down and
hesitated. My brain reeled and sick
ened. A strange sight met my eyes.
My negroes. one and all. had taken to
their feet down the bed of the stream
at the very top Of their speed and were
making most unanimous and mex.
plicable stampede toward the direction
of Tulamba.
For a moment l couldn't imagine
what had happened to disconcert them.
Then. casting my glance casually to-
ward the spot where had flung down
my rifle, became aware at once of the
cause Of this commotion. Their retreat
was we'll timed. BY the moss clad
bowlders which filed the bed of the
torrent somebody with big, black
face and huge grinning teeth was
standing erect looking up at me and
laughing. l had never seen the some.
body's awful features before. but I had
no need for all that tn ask mvself hi q