New-York tribune., 1903-04-13
n ~laUe in Afrique.
a FRAGMENT.
From the Papers of SIR Rd Hastings Vnturer Soldier
His Sacred Majesty Charles H.

IN TWO PARTs.-PART II.

ye5 @ and and again gain s turned to the past and to E9s
ri G; aIid "nen Wouio pave heard OF the hidden
rnanders sport, and Of the isles Of the aesperides
of the peace after long striving of the truth and
right which should reigr. when the King had
I know not what held me from saying that the
reigSed at fife WSifeh ma'eS'y Cnar'es Inad long
He spoke and 1 parried his questions or was ST
lent, and there would come. borne to us from the
menace of the unPeopled forest. dry and deep
roar of some monstrous beast anhungered.
sucking. seeking tendrils flung from tree to tree
and thought the England ne spake of alien
land than this ancient and uninvaded strangeness.
For he spoke of old wrongs righted of peace and
ships And remembered the doubtful strife
wherein where had looked my last on English faces
had circled its way to our shores-Dutch and Eng
places of the earth He spoke Of a king who
should restore ancient order and lift the standard
seen the King smiling and gaming at Whitehall
an1ng a2 ms ms fair g Light W. women, 49,, 90. .oe..z
WI WITH the player Se and bowed to my lady Castle
fouted in our harbors. Now know not why.
twas other in the encompassing solitude and
which had been and a present which was not and
the great voice of the wilderness snarled derision
SO We tarried together. and the barbarous folk
ringed our lives in and did not touch them 1
companion ne put the thought far from MIN as
one who fears the fulflment OF desire And.
were needfuI that in such case man should sink
to be savage among savages or be but the shadow
TO memory and to hone which was but an echo OF
memory, till l. too in mad moments. half looked
forest as long since he had charged through oPpOs-
the things about me But their strsngeness u1g
back. And still I dreaded the sick and sitting
air and fever of blood and BRAIN
hen 9d mad PITY pity ana M sent peril FRI IN the tra
before the onrush of dawn were once thrust back
and once again came on ..,
genera % PoF ms dreams d a zen o iTen hi MN 1 ana
no 6f1fs sJynTa M We
thick and strong with thorny growths, and there
the women sheltered. and thence came showers of
Our assaiants came creeping through the wood;
with barbarous gauds, peering menace at US And.
sudden the wild beasts. their kindred, they
leaped from stealth to herceness and hurled tnen-
selves across the open with cries that were not
Maurice had drawn his into a rough line,
and they rushed upon their oncoming foes with
drove them lp-'t BACK. FoIloWed Striving. mad as
a horror OF fever-shield against shield. black
over over rne 2eItqg l9 9!ooI, tb b2I Of ai and rage
,ast and bird from the forest deeps. Half IN the
wood And howery masses, crimson and white
and streaked with clashing colors. dropped from from
the gloom above and lay tumbled upon the dying
One African str9de from the rest ida5 ag&Hst
and poisoned like the arrow from which only steel
coward put Shrank @ I rom h1 mn If asrnnc
eyes held by his huge 93dy I Pes az a. SllG e var WoT
ship. il seemed man which faced me let
gripped my weapon-a native sword II was-and
made ready for onslaught. Who could fence with
a hurricane OF the tropics? The chief leaPed upon
me: he held his sword. not IN our fashion, but with
his hand beneath the hilt, as we grip daSser;
which did yet further disorder me: 5ewea a5 ana an1
parried blindly and once a gOut OF Dlood upon
the black bare chest yet knew death grlnned and
gained upon me
Sudden sword flashed between. Prince Maurice
stood there and the chief turned on him. feI
back and those about stinted in their bloody
work while the two fought, England and Afrique
at erappie. As I watched the sure swift sword
PLAY / doubted not of the issue, though Maurice
bore no shield Ee held back that giant nerce ouIK
with an answering edge of steel once a blow
fell which had slain white man. but the savage
held to it, the gaping lips of the wound opening ana
closing as he moved a last feint. a thrust and
the chief stumbled prone with cry like the very
deathcry of the wilderness. And Maurice SprlHls-
ing across his body other foes shouted aloud III
English and called his brothers name
l. too, plunged into the melee. finding these leap
ing fends could be slain like men. But they out
numbered us sorely, and were pressed wlthln
our defences As stood there. behind the thorny
barrier they thronged against us, neither sllS
NAL much account of darts some Iought Win
arrows fixed In them and Guivering. IN the medIey
OF black FORMS bedizened with feathers and SKINS
bra andishing their strange weapons In strange ways
stood that one figure, a cavalier or King CharIes'
and dealt death-a forgotten war cry on MS ups
Then. while vet the struggle swayed uIce
-ya nod