Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-26
CHAPTER XVIII.
Carter Makes a Purchase,

Carter Makes Purchase.
1t was Captain Image returning red and
wrathful from an unsuccessful cargo foray
among the southern and eastern factories
that Carter met the day after his arrival at
the coast. The mariner had heard of the
deal at Mokki. and felt personally affronted
that nest of cargo which he had already
looked upon as his own should have been
handed over once more to the Germans.
so you're on the beach, are your" said
he. looking Carter up and down with vast
d1sapproval Il must say you look It. I've
seen old Swizzle-Stick Smith come down
after jaunt in the BUSH and thought he
couldn't be beat for general shagginess and
rags. But you give him points. What did
Miss Kate bounce you for?' %
II believe / resigned"
Same thing. And now you've come to
ask me to take you home as a distressed
British subject. I suppose. Well. Carter
me-lad, a deck passage is your whack &C
cording to consular understanding, but
you've sat in my chart house and you've
sent me cargo, and SO I'm going to put my
hand in my own breeches pocket and take
you home in the second class. And tell
you what: Chips and the bosn have got a
shop In the foc's'le that I'm not supposed to
know about. and If you care to go in there
and get enough rig out to see you home
I'll foot the bill"
You're very good"
Il know l am. 1t puts me about five
weeks further off that hen farm outside
Cardiff that want to retire onto, being
good like this There, run away out Of this
chart house, me-lad and tell the chief stew
ard to give you a square blowout Of white
mans chop one-time. I'm sure you need it.
never saw a man with SO much Of the
lard stewed Off him."
Carter laughed ''will you let me slip a
word in? I've cargo for you
What! Your
I'm afraid YOU won't hook much COM
take 1t at ballast rates.
Catch me-"
But there'n be about seventy tons Of It
as far as can reckon"
My Christian aunt! do you tell me, Car
ter-me-lad, that you've scratched up sew
enty tons OF cargo? Here, sit down. No,
sit down. Don't talk. I'm not going to
have you, going away and calling the
Mposo a dry Ship
Captain Image had no tariff rate for tin
ore, but he invented one with great readi-
ness, and then knocked off 10 per cent by
way of encouraging new industry. Now,
where is this mine of yours?" he asked ge-
nially. Tell me, and 1 warrant I'll find
you an easier way to bring your produce
than padding it in dugouts.''
up the river" -
well, let's look at your charts me- lad ="
Carter shook his head.
Why, how's that? Haven't you made
one?"
Ch' l We mace one rlsnt enough, but it's
inside my skull and out of public view"
H M" said Image. Don't want any
competitors, eh. Carter-me-lad?'
why should 1?'
We'll. drink up. and let me fill your
glass. Here. have another squirt of bit
ters''
mo, thanks. Cappie. no more i drank
enough champagne with the King of Okky
business ahead of me and want a clear
head. Now. if you take this consignment
of tin ore home for me, and rob me as lit
tie as you can help over freight, what's
next? Swansea and smelter, l suppose?'
They're a bit Welsh down in Swansea"
said Captain Image, who came from Cardiff
himself They'll do with trifie of looking
after. What you wants smart agent"
The thing l want first and soonest is
cash. Now, look here, Cappe. you know
Swansea. and you're fond. by the coast ac-
count. of bit of commission. Well, here's
a nice lump of it on offer If you'll get
on assay. and pay cash for it, III give you
D per cent on what you raise
IT'S deal. You couldn't have come to
better man. Carter-me-lad. I'll open you
an account at the Bank of West Africa"
And get the whole balance cabled out
here"
81 was going to suggest that" said Cap
tain Image, doubtfully, IF you hadn't rush
ed me SO. But you won't want the lot
Now, with fifty pounds or So
II want every sixpence. Man, do you
think I'm going to nibble at my cake now
it's been given me? kallee's straight, 1
firmly believe. But what's his life Worth?'
Captain Image shook his head. VERY
heavy drinker, even for a darby, and of
course he hasn't a white mans advantages
in knowing the use Of drugs
Besides there are the usual risks of
kings and of Africa He's put down the To-
cal anarchist. He cooked the only two who
tried to assassinate him. and took a day
about it over slow fire, and that discouraged
4 ta IN xlxU I3I,f Ctill 81
So that altogether he's not good life, and
If he was to go out it's quite ON the cards
his heirs successors and assigns might not
recognize my title"
to do is to rip the CUTS out OF that mine at
the biggest pace possible, and I'll bring the
Mposo round here to load every time I
come along the coast"
Carter nearly laughed. He knew the "a.
pacity of his mine-quarry, it was, rather
and the hold space of the little M'poso Tin
was wavering about just under E176 per
ton just then; he had reckoned that he
could produce for 91O a ton; and the more
profit he could get, the more pleased he
would be. But he was not afraid of bring
ing down the price: he had plenty Of margin
for cut. His only fear was that the river
road might be stopped before he had made
his fortune. And he intended to empty the
veins of Tin Hill at the highest speed that
all the strained resources Of Africa were
capable of. and if necessary to keep three
steamers he@size Of the little M'poso fer
rying his riches across to the markets. Rnt
he did not let out any word of this to Inn
age. II the locality and the enormous
wealth of this mine were to leak out moth
ing could prevent rush. At the existing
moment he was penniless, and in any great
Influx of capital and men must inevitably
be swamped. Secrecy was essentially his
game for the present,
So he accepted Captain Images proposal
in the spirit in which it was made and then
put forward feelers for steam launch
Was there such thing already on the coast
that one could pick up cheap just them"
Captain Image lit a thoughtful pipe. "I
don't know Of any little steamboat that Won
could buy just now out here, cheap or dear
There are one or two in Sarry Leone. Ger.
tainly, but they are all either too big for
your job or too tender to bring round the
coast"
'Pm a bit of mechanic. you know.
wouldn't mind nursing engines. NY bow.
White Man's-Trouble. too. would make. &C.
cording to his own account, pretty decent
second engineer"
''Oh. know him. Used to be standby
at-crane boy on the Secondee, and stole
everything that wasn't nailed down. Rut
you'd never get one Of those Starry Leone
wrecks round here without being drowned
in the process. I tell you what, though.
Dye know anything about motor cars, me
lad?"
"why?" asked Carter, who had never
handled one in his life.
TpnAn ~ .xk%4 o. Fat