Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-19

COutluueu OSCdTu, up uI luS piutedu' paraded the whole crowd, told them what had found out, and chucked up the whole concern in your name and mine Next morning abandoned the plateau with such men as cared to come. Nearly half of them stayed with Durnovo. I thought it was in order that they might share in the simiacine. told them they could have the whole confounded lot of the stuff. But it was not that. They tricked Durnovo there. They wanted to get him to them selves. In going down the river we had an accident with two of the boats, which necessitated staying at Msala. While we were waiting there one night after 10 o'clock the poor devil came alone in canoe. They had simply cut him in slices. A most beastly sight. wake up sometimes even now dream ing of 1t, and am not fanciful sort of fellow. Joseph went into his room and was simply sick. didn't know that you could be made sick by any thing you saw. The sleeping sickness was on Durnovo then. He had brought 1t with him from the plateau. He died before morning" .s
 Oscard ceased speaking and returned to his pipe Jack Meredith, looking haggard and worn, was leaning back in his chair.
 Poor devilv' he exclaimed. ''There was always something tragic about purnovo. I did hate that man, Oscard! I hated him and all his works"
 Well, he's gone to his account now."'
 "Yes, but that does not make him any better a man while he was alive. Don't let us cant about him now. The man was an unmitigated scoundrel. Perhaps he deserved all he got"
 Perhaps he did. He was Marie's husband"
 'sThe devil he wasv'
 Meredith fell into long reverie. He was thinking of Jocelyn and her dis Ike for Durnovo, of the scene in the drawing room, of the bungalow at Loango; of a thousand incidents all connected with Jocelyn.
 How l hate that man" he ex- claimed at length. Thank God. he is dead, because I should have killed him."
 Guy Oscard looked at him with slow, pensive wonder. Perhaps he knew more than Jack Meredith knew himself of the thoughts that conceived those words, so out of place in that quiet room from those suave and courtly lips.
 All the emotions of his life seemed to be concentrated into this one day of Jack Mereditl's existence. Oscard's presence was a comfort to him. The presence of calm, strong man is bet ter than many words. Y
 ''So this," he said, ''is the end of the simiacine. It did not look like a tragedy when we went into it."
 'So far as I am concerned" replied Oscard, with quiet determination, it certainly is the end of the simiacine. have had enough of it. I. for one, am not going to look for that plateau again"
 "Nor I. l suppose it will be started as a limited liability company by a German in six months Some of the natives will leave landmarks as they come down so as to find their way back" "I don't think sor' 'whyT Oscard took his pipe from his lips.
 "When Durnoye came down to Msala,' he ex6lainbds he had the sleeping sickness o4 &m. Where did he get it fromT' By Jover' ejaculated Jack Meredith. q never thought of that. He got it up at the plateau, He left it behind hira. They have got it up there now"
 Not now"-
 What do you mean. 0scardT
 Merely that all those fellows up there are dead. There is f9o000 worth of s,miacine packed ready for carry ing to tho coast standing in a pile on tue plateau. and there are thirty four dead men keeping watch over it."
 "Is 1t as infectious as>that?''
 "when it first shows itself infectious Is not the word: it is nothing but q plague. Not one of those fellows can have escaped"
 Jack Meredith sat forward and rub bed his two hands pensively over his knees.
 "So." he said. ''only you and I and Joseph know where the simiacine plateau is"
 That Is so." answered Oscard.
 And Joseph won't go backT'
 Not if you were to give him that 10000 worth of stuff" And you will not go backT' Not for EgOO.Oo1. There is a curse on that place. "I believe there is,' said Meredith. And such was the end of the great sinIiacine scheme - the wonder of a few seasons Some day. when the great Sahara is turned into an inland sea. when steamers shall ply where sand now flies before inc desert wind. the plateau may be found again. Some day. when Africa Is cut from east to west by a railway line. some adven- turous soul will scale the height of one of many mountains. one that seems no diffeneut from fle rest and yet Is held 1 in awe hy the phantom haunted deni- l zens of the gloomy forest. and there i be will fIEI pyrambi Of wooden cass< l surrounded by bicache,l and scattered 1 bones where vuIfurps have fed In the meantime the precious drug | will grow Sssars,sr sisy hv day. and the ]