Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-05

of the hippopotamus, and with 1t he slashed
| venomousy at every black form that
scrambled out of the brine.
He screamed at them in their own tongue.
| Get back, you black swine. Get back. and
| fetch out my Clerk If you drown my clerk,
| l will drown you, too My last clerk died
year ago, and they have got me no other
| out here since. i won't lose this one!
| Back, you bushmen."
The chiquot had many terrors to the
! krooboys, the wat few 1t was as much
out of forgetfuness as anything else that
! they had not brought their passenger to
| shore with them. Besides, how were they
to know that he could not swim as well as
themselves Chat is about as well as seal
can SWIM? But they were not above
striking a bargain for their services.
black head served upon a white pother of
| creamy surf, gave tongue.
| "Oh, Smith. You give cash, suppose We
| fit for catch 'im?'
You lib for beach with my clerk. and
l dash you one whole box of gin. Hurry
| up now, you thieves a shark will chop
him, else he'll drown"
Heads disappeared, and many pairs of
black heels kicked upward The old man
hitched together his shabby pyjamas, and
stared industriously at the broken water
| through his eyeglasses. Its all very we'll
| for this K. O'Neill to send out letters that
| the firm is going to double it's business
he grumbled, but If they don't send me
men that can get ashore in one piece, how
| this factory at Mala-N ulla is going to buck
up, l can't see. By Jove, they've got him,
| the beggars. Red-headed chap. too. Well,
l might have saved that DASH I'm thinking.
Men with red heads never seem to stand
| the climate here for long. 1t will be a
| nuisance if the beggar pegs out within
| the month, after Eve spent a case of gin
on him.
| that was brought ashore presently by the
| Krooboys. He was held up by the heels,
more Africano to let the Atlantic drain
| from his inside back into its proper place,
hut a Il mot oh cio Of
seriousness till he had been lifted up and
| carried to the shelter of the retail store.
| Swizzle-Stick Smith limped beside him,
putting at his briar. "Beggars got an arm
broken" he commented Just my luck
| And X. O'NeiH will expect the work to be
| done just the same. Oh'-he said when the
dripping Krooboys had put down his guest
on the counter-"so you've concluded to
| come to your senses again?"
| Carter shuddered and slowly opened his
] eyes. A brown cockroach. horrible with
dust, dropped from the ratter above onto
| his face.
Pm afraid you've had rather rough
bout of 1t. landing my lad. It's very
bad BEACH today There, don't move.
yet"
| THE boat upset.
ut did, most thoroughly. But you're now
| at Malta -Nulla factory in West Africa, and
1 bid you welcome. I'm Mr. Smith, your
commanding officer. You'd like to lie still
| for a bit, perhaps?'
| Yes"
well. buck up, and you'll soon be all
| right. You needn't fancy you'll be a candi-
| date for a top-hat and gun-case yet"
| For a which,?
| The trader pointed with his pipe stem
| across the store to wooden box full of
| flintlock trade guns. That's a gun case.
| Mans usually too long to fit it comfortably,
especially if he's as well-grown as you are.
| So We knock out one end, and nail on
old top hat. Then you plant him in
| style"
The patients mouth twitched with the
| corner of smile.
J "A most tidy CUSTOM he said family.
/ But / say, could you do anything for my
| arm? Sorry to trouble you, but it's most
| abominabiy painful"
| your arms broken, worse luck. I'll set
| it for you when I've got off this cargo"
| I'D rather have a doctor Will you send
| off to the M'poso for the doctor there,
! please?
The old man laughed and polished his eye
| glass on sleeve of his pyjamas. MY lad.
| you don't understand You've left the
| steamer now, and her doctors not the kind
4 of fool to risk his own bones trying to get
| here with the beach as bad it is today.
l don't suppose he mistakes you for
| millionaire. You came out in the second
| class, I suppose?'
| yes"
| Then there you are His responsibility
ended when you left the steamer and ships
unless they're sure of touching big fat fee
| Now you must just lie quiet where you are
| and bite on your teeth till I've some time
for surgery. Trade comes first in West
Africa"
With which naked truth, Swizzle-Stick
| Smith relit his pipe and went out again into
| the brazen sunshine and presently was hus-