The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-20

on the well-scored sunwalo OF the canoe,
so as To keep IN touch with the raft, and
be ready against that forthcoming time
wien ne would have to pilot steam
launch up to Tin I'LL For though he
barely expected TO escape with life out
OF this horrible labyrinth OF creeks and
| waterways, he 1t always understood no
intended to return and demand from the
! country a fortune, II so be he ever got
down again to the seaboard
AT last, however, he swung out into
what WAS obviously n main channel, and
was on the point OF turning back to fetch
the raft. when his eye was held by some-
thing that moved suggishly In mid
stream.
1t lay UP towards the sun, and was
hard to make out because OF the dazzle
OF radiance
can you SEQ what that is?" he asked
| his bow man in the native.
ut Is lust man on branch. said
| that savage, with cheerful Indifference.
| "Prcsently the crocodiles will chop him.
| Shall we 80 back now, Effendi, TO the
raft?"
mo, my callous friend Well inves-
| tigate the person in the tree first. Full
| speed ahead
The clumsy dugout lurched and twisted
down the broad marigold- smelling river.
and as there was "a strong current under
her. she soon drew the obstruction into
| clearer view.
1t was tree. clearly enough, swept
| down by some IlOOu ana StTHnutsu lieTe III
midchannel to form one OF the myriad
| snaps with which West African rivers
| abound In 1t was a black man, who
| hung by his hands from the upper
branches, and was perpetua'ly pulling up
! his toes like some ridiculous Jumping.
| Jack He was a very fat man, and his
1 movements were getting more feeble even
as they watched him. But 1t was not
| I'll they got close alongside that they
saw the impelng motive OF these gym
nastic:.
twelve-foot crocodile was in attend
Z ance beneath the tree. and every now
! and again it swan up with great swirl
| and shot its grssly jaws out OF the
| water. and snapped noisily at the fat
Carter lifted his winchester and waited
| for chance, but of sudden his bow
| man turned to him with face that vas
gray with fear, THAT man" he said.
! Tia the King OF Okky. and II you save
him, presently we shall both die"
| II had already recognized the gentle n,,e,,
and fa b m i going to pu sf him
out OF this mess for all that. and Civ,
! him a good level start again on dry land.
! Then, as the crocodile jumped once
| more. he threw up his rifle and shot 1t
| under the left foreleg. where the protec-
| tive plates are absent.
| The brute jumped. and writhed, and
| swan away amid cascades OF golden
! spray and as the bullet was soft-nosed
/ and expanding. tHsTS Npbii Picphpis ~
/ before many more hours were over. one
| less nest in Africa. But Carter did nor
| worry his head about that. lie paodied
| the dugout to the tree and called to the
| Kins. e.. 49,,
| though once he had been giant IN
| strength, In these latter years OF KITE
| ship he had grown sort ana nappS. iis
| did all his journeyings IN hafilrhocN CIV, hi,u
| canoe. and had slaves who saved MN
| tho smallest scrap of exercise; and, more
| over he ate and drank to vast excess.
| So that when the immediate strain was
| over 1t can be understood how he hung
| In the upper branches of that tree TOO
| linn and exhausted even to lower himself
| into the canoe. Carter had to CHIMP ONO
/, the branch, and bear hand before ne
| could get down. Ut,
we, hi hut the King was no amateur.
! and balanced cannily. Moreover; pre-
! sently he painted himself into articuiate
| sneech. II fit for GIN said the KING
| OF okky.
Unfortunately, the bar on this packet 3
| closed for want OF supplies Just at I'm. tne
r,ornent TRY n sup OF the local ditch
water out of the baler."
The King did so, and made face
k haxs not s aF Re wa o carter dc NOT
| turn up stream. have men at a village
/ down yonder."
II don't doubt II. But having saved
| your skin. King, I've my own to think
/ OF now"
The Kings great body began to shake
| with laughter
| stop that" said Carter sharply. ''or
you'll burst the gunwales OUT
80 Carter' said Kallee, speaking In
okky, 'listen. 1t is only by my favor
that you have lived so long. We are
both ju-ju men, and between such 1t is
useless to make pretence. But 1 can tell
| you all you did since you left Mokki,
and met Smith. and went to the cliff
whereof ben Hossein told you. and saw
the stones which carry the brown glass
which you covet so much. 1 can tell you
| of your machine which says boo-paa-
| bumu, and OF the way you came down
| these creeks on raft and how you
labored prodigously in the blind chan
nels. I had arranged to let YOU get SO
| far. Tomorrow, when you came abreast
of my villages, canoes would have come
| out Here the King screwed round his
fat neck and eyed Carter over his shout
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