Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

The Winchester rifle and the remains of
the Gladstone bag seemed the only two
things that linked them now with civilZa-
ton. They lived in the African manner
upon African food: the intricate branching
of the creeks was charted in matchet-
scratches upon the smoothed surface of a
log Of wood: even English speech was dis
carded in favor of the native tongue.
Carter had shaved till the steamy atmoS-
phere of the bush had turned his razors
Into mere sticks of rust; and with the
growth of his red stubble of beard all re-
spect for his outward man had vanished.
He caught sight of himself one evening in
pool of black water. Well" he COM
mented, Il always thought that Swizzle-
Stick Smith was a filthy old ruffian but at
his worst he looks a prince to me now.
That l suppose Is where gray has the pull
over ginger
But it was the rescue of the King of
Okky which really gave the turn to the
whole of Carriers fortune. They had got
the raft into regular cul-de-sac of reeds
and water lilies, and she lay there stuck
on shoal in the face of a falling river.
spokes of some gigantic wheel The place
was alive with crocodiles and flies. Not
very far away an intertribal battle. aIver-
tised itself by an ugly mutter of firing.
An chop no lib, said White Mans
Trouble, by way of winding up the sum of
their difficulties
We'll, find some," Carter snapped Make
spears and stab the hsh up out of the
hooks. Only see that there's a meal ready
for me when 1 get back III lam into
you with that chiquot you're so fond of
using"
He went off then in the warped dugout,
with the one-eared man as bow pole, la
boriOusly hunting for a passage into some
main stream. The river beneath them gave
up fat bubbles of evil odors; the banks of
slime either side reeked under the sun
blaze. dozen times Carter thought he
saw open water ahead. and pushed on, and
a dozen times found himself embayed. And
always he had to jot Gown compass notes
with nail on the well-scored gunwale of
the canoe, so as to keep in touch with the
raft and be ready against that forthcoming
time when he would have to pilot a steam
launch up to Tin Hill. For, though he
barely expected to escape with life out Of
this horrible labyrinth of creeks and water
ways, be it always understood he intended
to return and demand from the country
fortune, If so be he ever got down again
to the seaboard.
At last, however, he swung out into what
was obviously main channel, and was on
the point of turning back to fetch the
raft when his eye was held by something
that moved sluggiShly in midstream.
1t lay up toward the sun and was hard
to make out because of the dazzle Of ra-
dance.
Can you see what that is?' he asked his
bow man in the native.
1T Is just man on a branch" said that
savage, with cheerful Indifference. Pres
eAtty the CTOCOQlleS Will CnOp MIN. Shall
we go back, Effend, to the raft?'
mo, my callous friend. Wen investi-
gate the person in the tree first. FUN
speed ahead!'
The clumsy dugout lurched and twisted
down the broad marigold- smelling river.
and as there a strong current under
her she soon drew the obstruction into
clearer view.
1t was a tree clearly enough, swept down
by some flood and stranded here in mid
channel to form one of the myriad snags
with which west African rivers abound. In
1t was black man who hung by his hands
from the upper branches and was perpetu-
ally pulling up his toes like some ridiculous
jumping-jack. He was a very fat man,
and his movements We're getting more
feeble even as they watched him. But it
was not till they got close alongside that
they saw the impelling motive of these
gymna sites.
A twelve-foot crocodile was in attendance
beneath the tree, and every now and again
1T swan up with great swirl and shot its
griSiy jaws out of the water. and snapped
noisiiy at the fat mans toes.
Carter lifted his Winchester and waited
for chance. but of sudden his bow man
turned to him with a face that was gray
with fear. THAT man.. he said. is the
King of Okky, and if you save HIM present
ly We shall both die
Il had already recognized the gentleman.
and | fancy he's far more my enemy than