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

normal mind where most men were either
hysterical or morbid
He had come ashore at MALTA Nula, when
he first landed on that ugly beach from
the M'poso, with two Gladstone bags. One
of these had been looted by some light-fin-
gered merchant of the interior The other
still remained with him, and had journeyed
to Mokki. It's notable tint of yellow had
long since vanished. In places it was mot
tied black with mildew, and the rest of
the surface was good muatto brown.
The fastenings had burst and been re-
placed by rope.
He looked at it with moments indie
cision. 1t would make vastly ugly KNAPP
sack-but-it represented one of his few
remaining possessions in the world. (The
eco, or, to be precise, the sum of G5I 6S
1Od., which he had forced Laura to carry
off. had emptied his purse to the dregs)
And as he could not make up his mind to
desert the bag, he packed what things he
thought essential within it's eaky leather
sides. arranged rope beckets for his Shout
ders, slung it on his back, tucked the Win
chester aforesaid under his arm, and set
off down the narrow forest road which Ben
Hossein had indicated, without further
word of farewell with anybody.
The heat of noon had just faded, but the
eighteen-inch-wide road was walled in with
dense high bush, and the air down in that
narrow cut was GREATNESS and sta gnant
When the road curved away from the sun
and the high walls threw shadow, Car
ter waited for moment and painted; when
the sun teemed rays of molten brass direct
ly down on him from overhead, he hurried ;
and so moved on at an average gait of
three miles to the hour which is good
travelling for West Africa.
1t is curious how the brain works in
these hours of discomfort and abnormal
stress. The one thing that occupied Car
ters mind was rather good specimen of
Okky war horn. 1t had been of ivory.
massive, well-carved and with mouthpiece
of more than usual elaboration. In fact it
he
across. and he was a judge. He had pur-
chased it from its native owner to copy for
MIR. Balgarnies markets. But he had seen
Rates eye upon 1t Just before the Frau
Probst took her away, and with the i'm
pulse of the moment had given ii to her.
She took it at once, and thanked him light
ly enough and, he told himself. forgot st a
moment later. thousand times he called
himself for trying to keep in her
memory. What was he, factory clerk. to
Miss O'Neil? And what, indeed, was Miss
O'Neill to him-an engaged man?
The bush rustled back at him: Laura Is
well, what you know. Lauras got a lick
of the tar brush. Laura is probably the
identical person certain reverend gentle
man in upper Wharfedale especially warned
you against. Laura may pass muster in
Grand Canary, but she won't do farther
north Fancy Laura in Wharfedale,' Good
God. in Wharfedale! Now he came to think
of it, he had never talked to Laura about
home, and the moors and the grouse and
the roses.
He laughed noisily at his fancles and a
flock of red and gray parrots came on to
the tree tops above and cawed at him.
Well. after all. there were plenty of Eng
lishmen who lived out of England He
might initiate a new era. He might be one
of the first English colonists who looked
upon West Africa a home, not place of
exile. He rubbed the sweat from his face
with long forefnger and plodded on.
Why not? He seemed to have the knack
of health. Why should not he and Laura
become powers in the Oil rivers? They
might well rise to the rule of cities and
territories.
Then voice brought him to earth again.
Some haailed him from the rear, Car
ter, O Carter!'
1t was the excellent White MansTrouble
who came up sullen, frightened and abusive.
HIS cheek-bOnes We're whitened with lime
in token of some ju-ju charm. He took
over the battered Gladstone bag and bal
anced it on the center plot of his own
deliberately shaven Uranium
Il no fit for lib at dem factory an know
you carry dem load in dem dam-fool way"
said the krooboy crustily.
They pulled up that night at a small
tCrrOr-S hiVering village and Qulrtered them