The Sauk Centre herald., 1904-03-17
rent, came out on the point of the dip.
ping rock and dronned over


word. 1t was dumb show, like every
thing else he had done in the cataract's
roar, and, for the first time in life,
the man who would have relinquished
life so boldly was at loss from fear.
Jacks living and warm grasp gave him
great shock, moreover. Instantly he
drew Jack away, but with hand which
became so viselike, and with such evi-
dent nervousness, that his friend was
shocked at the change in him. Pri-
vately Jack swore at the war for it,
yet thought it strange in such gallant
man. He was pulled up to the fringe
of a wooded bank before the colonel
spoke.
my dear old chap! What brings
you here: How the deuce did you find
me?"
The little cotton merchant continued
to act facetiously. "Ah," said he,
pushing chest out, 'blow me if 1 can
tell you that! Genius, l think. The
British army lost a very good man
when 1 stopped growing, Art.
Had you seen me? Were you going to
jump up that silly rock?"
''Jove, how you startled mel" the
miserable man ran on. ."Do you KNOW
had you in mind at that moment, as
if 1 should see you directly. =
How long are you here? Where are
you staying, old Jack? Wasn't
that strange, thought"
Jack thought his friends behavior
stranger He was not unaware of the
card play, rutnor of which had reached
as far as Liverpool. 'Devonshire
arms he said, laconically. Got any
fish,"
Not very many" Poor old Sale
How sick be looked! But now that
you're here-wait a minute, I'll let OLD
Tib go home"
He came back smiling and with his
natural color, and Jack was uncom-
monty funny about the war. 1t did
not surprise the jester that his friend
put no more questions with respect to
the manner of their encounter. He
was a good deal touched, for, on the
other hand, Sales affectionate cordial
ity confessed relief from a great dis
tress. They went down to the hotel,
and there the afternoon was whiled
away with talk of old times, as if no
mystery had spun fine threads between
them.
1t was over the after dinner smoke
that both men came to an awkward
silence. For Jack, at any rate, this
was not endurable; he waited for some
more intimate talk, hoping good from
it, and then set about with deliberation
to put his friend at ease.
He said, very quietly: 81 know what
you're thinking of Art"
The colonel controlled himself with
difficulty. He had little doubt left just
at that moment that Jack had seen
through his bad acting, but he looked
up, saw him admiring the ash of his
cigar, and still kept silence, dreading
the word that would shatter self-re-
spect.
You're as superstitious as ever;
wondering what the deuce that coin
cidence' portends of my turning up so
adroitly. Oh, know you of old" He
laughed gently. my dear fellow, I'm
sorry to disabuse you, but it's simply
no coincidence at all. I've been hunt
ing you about town for a week, off and
on; got your address from you're wife,
and here am. on most prosaic busi-
ness mission! But confess. You've
been thinking it odd all day, haven't
you?"
I The comfort of this was worth set
tlement of all debts. But, as an ex-
PLANTATION, it did nothing to shake a
saved mans faith in the supernatural.
"Well, yes," he replied to the chal-
lenge.
"Just so. You're the same old
dreamer, and it isn't good for the
nerves, Art. Are you game -
proceeded Jack, in his very quietest
tones, "to do big journey nowadays?
One of your old adventures"
Col. Sale gazed at his friend with
strange eyes.
Its this. You know the state of
the Egyptian fiber market? Or, of
course, you don't; that wouldn't inter-
est you. Egyptian fiber is at ten
pence a pound, and that's a famine
price; perfectly frightful! In Liver
pool we've formed the Imperial Cotton
Growing Extension association, pool
ing a little capital to look for new
fields and promote enterprise. l hope
it'll do some good. What we want
now, as soon as ever We can lay our
hands on him, is the right sort of man
to go down the railway route from
Cairo to the cape-taking his own time
about it, of course-and spy out possi-
bilities. Well, told the other directors
about you and the mahdi. I'm to ask
you if you'll undertake the trip, old
chap. It's dangerous, know, but what
they offer to do, apart from cost OF
equipment and all that, is to put down
$4,000 year for, say, three years, and
am empowered to pay it into your
| bank if you consent"
The man for whom this miracle was
worked leaned forward to put his face
in his hands. Jack saw his chest
| heave.
What do you say, o, BeneGick, the
married man? Will you go on this