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

about the new plant the more was my
curiosity piqued to possess one. longed
!, to bring a root of the marvellous bloom
to Europe for the natives all spoke Of
/ it with a certain hushed awe or super
+; stitious respect ut is the nginas
flower. they said 1T grows IN the
dark places-the gardens of the nglna
If any man breaks one off, that is very
! bad luck The ngina will surely over
take and destroy him.
This superstitious awe only infiamed
my desire to possess q 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 very long spur, or sac. con-
tanning honey at its base in great guam
titles; that it was fertilizcd and rlt1ed
by a huge evening moth, whose pro
boscis was exactly adapted IN length to
| the spur and its nectar; that 1t 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 a delicious
perfume strong enough to be perceived
at some 90 yards distance. So great
prize to man Of my tastes was simply
Irresistible I made up my mind that,
come what might. must, could and
would possess a tuDer Of the moon
flower
One fortnight sufficed for me to make
nv dnal plans. Heavy bribes overcame
the scruples of the negroes. The prom
ise of good rifle induced the finder of
the first specimen to take service with
me as guide Fully equipped for
weeks march and we'll attended with
followers, all armed to the teeth, / made
nv 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
encumbered with thick, tropical brush
wood We crept along cautiously, hack
ing our way at tines among the brake
with our cutlasses and crawling at
others through 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 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 so much as light on speci-
men.
At last about noon on the fourth
day out, we came upon torrent, rush
ing with great velocity among huge
powders and sending up the spray of
its boiling rapids into the trees of the
neighborhood sat down to rest,
meaning to mix the water from the
cool, fresh stream with spoonful or
two of cognac from ths flask in my
pocket. As drank it tossed back my
head and looked up. Something on one
of the trees hard by attracted my eyes
strangely A parasite stood out boldly
from fork of the branches. bearing a
long, 1.-THE spray of huge, luminous
flowers as big as dessert plates aly
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
The moon flower! The moon fower!
felt myself for moment a perfect
Stanley or Du Chaillu. | had discovered
the most marvellous and beautiful orchid
known to science.
In moment l had tossed off my
brandy. laid down my rife and. mount
ing On the back Of one of my negro
porters, was swinging myself up 70 the
lowest branch Of the tree. where my
new treasure shcne resplendent in It's
own dim phosphorescence | couldn't
have trusted any hand but my own to
pick or egg out of that glorious tuber.
I meant to cut it bodily from the bark
as it 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 sudden shout
among my followers below startled and
d;scomposed me. looked down and
hesitated. Ny 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 Tuiamba
For 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 comrnotion. Their retreat
was we'll timed. By the m2ss clad
bowlders which filed the bed of the