Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-03-15


most unwarrantable interference"
"Yes," said Meredith seriously. i
beg your pardon. You are right"
He went to his own room ana sum-
moned Joseph.
when is the next boat home" lie
asked.
BOAT on Thursday sir."
Meredith nodded. After little pause
he pointed to chair.
"Just sit down." he said. Il want TO
talk over this simiacine business with
you"
Joseph squared his shoulders and sat
down. with face indicative OF the
gravest attention. Sitting thus he was
no longer a servant, but partner In
the simiacine. He even INDUCED IN
sidelong jerk Of the head, as If request
ing the attention of some absent friend
in a humble sphere Of life to this glori-
Gus state of affairs.
"You know" said Meredith, "Mr.
Durnovo is more or less blackguard."
Joseph drew in his feet, having pre-
yiously drawn his trousers up at the
knees.
Eyes, sir" he said, glancing up.
"He wants continual watching and
special treatment. He requires some
one constantly at his heels"
Eyes. sir" admitted Joseph, with
some fervOr.
"Now 1 am ordered home by the
DOCTOR" went on Meredith. Il must
90 by the next boat, but | don't Ike
TO 90 and leave Mr. OScard in the
lurch. with no one to fall back upon
but Durnovo, you understand
.Joseph's face had assumed the habit
ual look of servitude. He was no long
er partner, but d mere retainer. with
a half comic resignation in his eyes.
Eyes, SIR" scratching the back OF his
neck. 81 am afraid l understand. You
want me to go back to that platter,
that God forsaken platter, as l may
say"
YES" said Meredith; ''that Is about
it. would go myself
"God bless you, know you would
burst in Joseph You'd go like winkin'.
There's no one knows that better nor
me. sir, and What l says is, like mas
fer like man. Game, sir; game it Is!
I'll 60. I'm not the man to turn my
back On pal, IA partner, sir, so TO
speak"
"You see," said Meredith, with the
deem insight into men that made COM
mand so easy to him-'you see there
is no one else. There is not another
man in Africa who could do it."
That's true, sir"
"And think that Mr.. Oscard will be
looking for YOU
"And he won't need to look long, sir.
But l should like to see you safe on
board the boat; then I'm ready to 60"
Fright. We can both leave by
Thursdays boat and We'll get the cap
tain to drop you and your men at
Lopez. We can get things ready by
then, think"
Easy, sir"
The question thus settled, there
peemed to be no necessity to prolong
the interview. But Joseph did not
move. Meredith waited patiently
'T'r go up, sir, to the platter" said
the servant at length, land I'll place
myself under Mr.. Oscard's orders; but
before | go | want to give you notice
of resignation. | resigns my partner
ship in this ERE simiacine at six months
from today. It's bit too hot, sir,
that's the truth It's all very we'll for
gentlemen like yourself and Mr.. o.
card. with fortunes and fine houses,
and. as sayin goes wife apiece wait
ing for you at hOme-it's all very well
for you to 60 about in this blamed
country with yer life in yer hand, and
not tight grip at that. But for
poor soldier man like myself, what has
smelt the regulation powder all is life,
and hasn't got nothing to love and no
gal waiting for him at HONEYWELL, 1t
Isn't good enough. That's what say,
sir, with respects"
He added the last two words by way
of apology for having banged very
solid fist on the table.
Joseph rubbed his hands slowly to-
gether and departed, leaving his mas
ter to begin long letter to Guy o.
card.
And at the other end of the passage,
in her room with the door locked, Joce-
Ign Gordon was sobbing in wild burst
of grief because she had probably
saved the life of Jack Meredith, and in
doing so had only succeeded in send
ing him away from her.
When Jack Meredith said that there
was not another man in Africa who
could make his way from Loango to
the simiacine plateau he spoke no more
than the truth There were only four
men in all the world who knew the
way, and two Of them were isolated
on the summit of a lost mountain in
the interior. Meredith himself was IN
fit for the journey. There remained
Joseph.
In coming down to LOang0 Joseph
had had the recently made track Of
Oscard's rescuing party to guide him
day by day. He knew that this was
now completely overgrown. The sim
iacine plateau was once more lost to
all human knowledge.
And up there, alone amid the clouds,
Guy Oscard was, as he himself tersely
put it, sticking to it," He had stuck
to it to such good effect that the supply
Of fresh young simiacine was daily in
creasing in bulk Again Victor Dur
novo seemed to have regained his bet
fer self. He was like full blOOded