The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-13
cI1APTEIs X.
ENJOYS IN COUNCIL.

Halo. Meredith. heard rumors that
there was a white man up in this part
of the bush. but never guessed it was
you. | did think of sending on rum
ner to see. but somehow 1 didn't"
mo, you wouldn't said the older
man. Il never knew you make up your
mind to anything unless 1t was decided
for you. Now. look here. Slade. Were
In lonely country here. and If l shoot
you, you'll never be missed; and. by
CAD, shoot you l will unless you mend
your memory"
"Poof. what does it matter? We're
the only white men within two hundred
miles, and the boys are out Of earshot.
"A black boy can hear lot farther
than you think, and, for that matter.
, i've known trees in West Africa to have
ears that understand English--at least,
that has been the only explanation one
could find of the way things have leaked
ont. But We'll leave all that alone.
I've given You to understand by what
name | wish to be addressed"
well, you needn't be so short about
1t. I've always called you Smith down
IN the Coast factories. OF course / can't
forget that once knew you when you
| WERE
"Will you hold your slohberng tongue?
If you can't say so, and I'll stop 1t onc0
and for always I've told you my. wish;
to you or any one else I'm smith; 90, or
I've no connection with anything that
went before, and, pom my soul, as you re
the only man now alive that knows 1t.
! believe. I'd be lot safer If you were
| out of the way.
slade turned his back netuantly.
| oh. do stop this wrlngle. I'll call you
| Swiz2le-Stick Smith TO the end OF the
| chapter, and forget that you were ever
| ANYTHING other than drunken old palm
| oil rnftian. if 1t pleases you. Come to
| my hut and chop, shot some parrots
this morning They'll taste bit like
high rock. but they are better than
| finely; real raketers. 1t was quite Hike
| the old days at home. This gun, by the
| way. Is about my last link with ancestral
splendor Look there, a Holland. They
wanted me to have electors, ! remember,
| but Wouldn't"
Mr.. Smith screwed his eyeglass into
his other eye and straightened the new
black silk ribbon by which It hung.
No" he said erirly that wa. ~, Very
weren't invented when that gun was
built / wonder what sort Of a tale YOU
told Image before he trusted YOU with
what are YOU driving at? What's
Cappie Image to do with it?'
That's my gun. l had it.well, ms
you've started the forbidden subject al
ready had 1t before the fall. Image
saw It at Malla-Null one day when
was full ZIP and walked off with It.
and I never managed to get, 1t back
from him. He aiways said the beach
was too bad to risk letting n surf-boat
bring 1t ashore Well. YOU may keep
/ the thing for the present, and I'll tnlc
a bowlful OF your parrot stew by way
of rent This the house? You've man
aged to find yourself pretty comfortable
quarters. see
The house was series Of rooms
\ packed round an internal courtyard.
| The outer walls We're Of waffle, luted
with mud thrown onto them in vigorous
handfuls. and left TO bake hard in the
sim. The roof was n pile of untIdy
thratch, the floor of hardened mud, and
in the middle OF the courtyard was an
ineffective shade-tree scorchcd by the
| smoke OF the cooking fires, Beyond this
| house sprawled the other houses of a
small West African village, with the
usual suualor heaped between them.
TO most Europeans there would have
been much to notce--the cooking YES
sells, the calabashes, the food, the iu-iu
charms that one met nj unexpected cor
ners, the acavenging dogs, and the ALI
pervadug smells. But Swizzle-Sticl
Smiths curiosity was worn by twenty
years attrltlon ana these savage cir
eumstanees had crown native to him
lie did not even comment on the fact
TINT sIade was living entirely in loca
fashion. the thing was so obvious Q
course for his friend to follow that hi
took 1t for granted He himself was 0
man OF Ike tastes, Down at Malta
I, Nulla the menu had mostly smacked OF
Africa but once he had left the Coast
: hendnan travels. living mainly on kank
= and couscousoo, and for beverage par
taking Of sour palm wine, muddy busi
water and an allowance Of trade gil
sternly cut down TO one square, faced
bottle per diem.