The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-13

derneath her and she's slipping off.
Here you, Mr.. Third Mate, ring those
engines to full astern, and try and
keep 1t in your head that you'd be in
officers"
With the lift of the yellow ude be-
meath her the M'poso drew out from
her muddy dock as sword is pulled
from Its sheath; hung for a dozen
stern-warp and its anchor were got
aboard, and then, gathering her boat
and It's crew up to dayits, turned stub
bornly up the river.
'I'll show. these okty blighters what
trouble is" declared Captain Image,
IF they, try and stop me. I've had
, with swfzzle-sticlS Smith and the 9TH
er traders a score OF times, and If
he didn't drink the ship dry, it was
only because l wouldn't let him. And
brings out his Internal war. canoes.
] only hope he's in one OF them and
comes alongside. I'll brain him with
an oil puncheon If get him in range"
behind the point where the canoes had
been seen. there was no offer of attack.
There We're three craft in view, nifty
paddle-power dugouts all of them.
crammed with men and weapons fan
tastic with horrible juju charms; but
they hung on to the wire-like stems
of the mangroyes and remained so moor
ed till the steamer drew past ard began
1
A monkey skin drum in each was beaten
impressively by two drummers but 10
weapons were leveled, and there was no
threat Of boarding.
"Faugh." said Image, and spat.
.Did you catch the smell of those
Talk of bus stable struck by light
ming .,n,. 4,ora i,s. 70 to,,e in
the scenery" said Carter thoughtfully;
q -lrI-- Is MISCHIEF
even as the sptaks Il. upward. Look;
they're casting Off their shorefasts and
getting under weigh down stream, NO,
after me. Well. of all the, blighted
cheek! Do you know, what that
means, Carter me me lad Ih eyre, e. goi irnf
some iu-ju by which they can cut Us
off from the Coast. All, hers Miss
Kate. Well. Miss. as I've you to THINK
of as well as my snip. i snatl Turn I'm
bar. You see for yourself. / should
think now. that 1t isn't healthy up
this river. and all the cargo In Africa
is no use TO a man If he can't get
where it's stored. II any one of the
war canoes get in my way, III snow
YOU what those bushmen l9ok IKE
when they're swimming in yellow va
tor for as sure as the Lord made
crocodiles. I'll ram their noisy dug
outs il I can I'll teach them to
thump their nasty smelling war drums
"Poof, Captain. don't you try to take
me In. I should like to hear amy one
else suggesting that you couldn't take
the M'poso to n spot where the FRAU
Pobst had made regular VOYAGES"
Captain Image thrust forward his
head and glared, Il can take this
packet anyw,heere that blessed Dutch
.lt "of course You can. And when the
Frau Pobsts captain has shipped car
81 and given up going there, Miss. be-
cause it's too dangerous.
Precisely Ws II, as dn couldn't 'asn NAN in
means that no little trouble that's go
brighten YOU IN the very least Is that
go "oh, 60 on, Miss Twist me round
your finger. ! like II Besides, 1t isn't
the first time I've played a neck or
noth t5at Eam an nut me nf for pet
ty young lady like YOU"
Captain Image was speaking In plain
Tats aqd Mas ws ssled mn S Ea0 a4s
aualm. Was she right to force on this
risk? Would the okky-men attack,
sce esa t9ey S s5ad on but {Ae
seemed to see a shadow of chance
for success. And these Others We're
all q sstti Geas ap her ag Wit whom she
But when she thought of giving
way and turning back the cost of re-
treat promptly leaped UP and faced
Craven, We're heavily involved, how
heavily no one knew but old white
haired Crewdson and herself The
Mokki oil that she had bought so
cheap would save them. without ii
there would be bankruptcy, and, what
she dreaded even more, the contemp-
tppus anger of Liverpool pointed at
the woman who had taken upon her-
self man's responsibilities and broken
down beneath them.
These thoughts dnned through her
again and again, but outwardly her
face smiled and her lips spoke lightly
Nov. II is nice OF YOU to give me
sl n promise like that, Captain"