The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-14
CHAPTER VI
UNDER THE LINE
Enough Of simpering and grimace.
Enough Of vacuity trimmed with lace.


Course this country! Curse it-curse
I'll" The man spoke aloud. but there
was no one near to hear He shook his
skinny yellow fist out over the broad
river that crept greasily down to the
equatorial sea.
All around him the vegetable kingdom
had asserted Its sovereignty At his back
doomed a dense forest, impenetrable to
the foot OF man, defying his puny hand
armed with axe or saw. The trees were
not high. few of them being above TWEEN
ty feet, but from their branches creepers
and parasites hung In tangled profusion,
lnterlaced, Joining tree to tree for acres,
nay for miles.
AS far as the eye could reach either
bank of the slow river was thus covered
with rank vegetation-mile after mile
without variety, without hope. The glas-
sy surface of the water was brokal here
and there by certain black forms floating
like logs half hidden beneath the wave.
These were crocodiles. The river was
the Ogowe and the man who cursed 1t
was Victor Durnovo, employe Of the
Loango Trading Association. whose busl-
ness It was at that season to travel into
the interior of Africa to buy, barter. or
steal ivory for his masters.
He was a small-faced man, With
squarcly aquline nose and black mus
tache which hung like a valance over
his mouth. From the growth Of that
curtain-ike mustache Victor Durnovo's
worldly prosperity might have been said
to date. No one seeing his mouth had
before that time been prevailed upon to
trust him. Nature has a way of hanging
out signs and then covering them up so
that the casual fail to see, He was
man Of medium height, with abnormally
long arms and a somewhat truculent way
Of walking, as If his foot was ever ready
to kick anything or any person who
might come in his way. \
TIis movements were nervous and rest
less although he was tired out and half
starved. The irrltability of Africa was
upon hlm-had hold over him-grpped
him remorselessly. No one knows what
it Is, but it is there, and sometimes it is
responsible for murder 1t makes hon
orable European gentlemen commit
crimes of which they blush to think In
after-days. The Powers may draw up
treaties and sign the same, but there Will
never be peaceful division OF the great
wasted land so near to Southern Europe.
There may be peace in Berlin. or Brus-
sells, or London, but because the atmos-
phere OF Africa Is not the same as that
of the great cities there will be no peace
beneath the equator. From the West
Coast of Africa to the East men will
fight and quarrel and bcker so long as
human nerves are human nerves. The
irritnbility turks In the shades of bound
less forests, where men may starve for
want OF animal sustenancc; 1t hovers
over the broad bosoms of hundred slow
rivers, haunted by tho mysterious croco-
ollie the weird hppopotamus. 1t Is every
where. and by reason of it men quarrel
over trlfes, and descend to brutal pas
sion over n futile discussion.
Victor Durnovo had sent his boatmen
into the forest to find few dates, few
handfuls OF hrcwood and while they
were absent he gave vent to that wild
.unreasoning passion which Is Inhaled in
to the white mans lungs With the air
OF equatorial Africa For there are moral
microbes In the atmosphere of differ
ent countries, and we must not Judge one
land by the laws Of another. There Is
the fatallsm of India, the restlessness of
Now York the fear of the Arctic, the
of Africa.
course this country!" he shouted;
Course it-curse It! River and freeman
and beast!"
He rose and slouched down to his boat.
which lay moored to q snag alongside |
the bank, trodden hard to the consist
ency Of asphalt by Il hundred bare feet.
lie stepped over tho gunwale, and made
his way aft with a practical balancing
step, The arter-pnrt OF the canoe WAS
decked In and closed with lock and key
The key hung at his -chain--a
large chain with square links and sug-
gestive doubtfuness of color 1t might
have been gold. but the man who wore
It somewhat impaired to 1t n suggestion
of bascr metal.
He opened the locker and took from It
a small chest. From this he selected
bottle, and, rummaging In tho recesscs
of the locker, he found an unwashed
tumbler. Into half a glass OF water he
dropped minute quantity from the bot
tie and drank off the mixture. The pas
sion had left him now, and quite sud
denly he looked yellow and very weak.
He was treating himself scientifically for
the rritabilty to which he had given |
way, Then he returned 10 the bank and |
laid down at full length. The skin of his
face must have been giving him great |
pain, for it Was scarlet In places and eS-
udlng from -blsters, He had long |
ago given up wping the Precipitation
from his brow, and evidently did not |
dare to wash his face.
Presently a peacefulness seemed to
come over him. for his eyes lost their
glitter and his heavy lids dropped. Ills
arms were crossed behind his head-be-
fore him lay the river