Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-09-10

enlng words against the Arab rang in
my ears, why / could not tell.
Then, with an expression of pity, al.
most penitent remorse, he murmured:
at is"
Noble soul, true hearted vandier griev.
ed that his murderer should suffer the
penalty of his crime.
But Omar cast himself beside the dy.
Ing man and cried, with u refinement OF
hypocritical sincerity:
I'm Allah's name, L have never injured
this man,
And before we could prevent him he
had kissed Nandier's hand with passion.
ate devotion.
The excitement overwhelmed the inva-
lid, his breath came in gasps his eyes
closed, and then followed an ominous 81.
lence.
The following days we devoted to care
full investigation of the facts. Needless
investigation to my mind, convinced as
was of Vandier's absolute loyalty As
impartial judge, however, l pretended
the absolute necessity of investigating
the prisoners unswerving asseverations
of innocence, and my colleague, for some
reason unknown to me, but based, he told
us, upon pathological reasons, supported
him.
Our researches, however, confirmed all
the details of Vander's story. That
Omar's friends and relatives swore he
had not been absent from his tent at the
hour specified we did not heed, for the
Arabs would naturally seek to protect
their knsman
One thing. however, impressed us as
strange. The terrible hemorrhage that
must have followed had not stained the
bottom of the runabout, and yet the
ground where the attack was made had
been flooded deep crimson.
ut dropped through the cracks" | as
serted, when Garien mentioned the i'm
probability of the wounded man having
climbed from the wagon in pursuit of the
villain.
But in that case we would find traces
of it all along the road"
l left the judge in anger at his implied
doubt of Nandier's veracity. Our Arab
maintained an attitude of dignfied res
ignation. Allah would not desert his
child until his innocence had been PROV
ed!
Early in the morning of the day ap-
pointed for the mans conviction Garien
came to me with something clasped tight
ly in his left hand.
What do you make of that ?" he ask
ed, extending bullet of the caliber used
by Fandier instead of the Arab, and in
the place of the rags they use, bit of
wood. why, wood; rather superluous
in a wound it seems to me-"
"Where did you get themT' l asked,
vaguely disconnected by the occurrence.
Your colleague brought them to me
after the autopsy" replied Garien. be-
h;., 1.
the wagonette again"
We went out together, l still seeking
an explanation to this underlined accusa-
ton against my departed friend.
Garien quietly fitted the splinters into
the small hole in the bottom of the run
about. Not morsel was missing. Van
dier himself had explained this hole by
the accidental discharge of his gun.
'There," said he at last. l could not
believe my eyes.
impossible" l cried. "They are not
the same color as the wagon"
The judge gravely scraped away the
blood on the splinters. The bright yell
low that Vandier had used to stain his
wagonette cleaned beneath tile somber
bloodstain.
Il don't understand" l stammercd.
The judge looked at me; then he said:
"Iou know Vandier hunted, or, rather,
poached?" he said coldly.
/ nodded.
'Well, he shot himself, and Omar is in
nocent 1t is all quite clear. Returning
that morning, he discovered one of the
pheasants his trusted friend was so fond
of sending him. Dismounting he started
to pull out his gun, but the trigger
caught, discharging the bullet, which
lodged in his groin" Garien illustrated
just how this had happened. by a
marvellous effort of love and devotion,
Nandier, realizing what the consequences
for his family would be If the true cause
We're known, forced his way back into
the runabout and drove home with his
carefully planned tale. For one of Van
dier's frank, honest nature the stupcn-
dous deceit with which he dared face his
Maker, from sheer love for his wife,
amounted to real heroism. 1t is superb
and abominabe. And to think that a
mans life should depend upon such
chanceW
We entered the little courtroom where
our prisoner was already seated.
you are free" said Garien, ''to return
to your home"
The Arab answered simply:
Allah be praised. May he watch over
you for long days to come"
Then, with the easy grace of man
who feels his innocence proved in the
face of doubt, he added:
"The tongue Of the witness is serpent
who drinks of lies, but innocence is re-
lected in the eyes of just man."
That is sometimes a truth and some
times an error" murmured Garien. as
I...I l. L
along the sunlit road.
thought of Vandier in his grave, with
that lie in his eyes. And, strong man
that was, l wept.-Translated From
the French For Milwaukee Sentinel.
Cannibalism In the kOngo.
Since coming first to the Kongo, the
farther l travelled the farther cannibal-
ism seemed to recede. Every body had TO