Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-08-18

~ beside one wheel; Mr.. Saunders
ants came along behind in the second
cart. Ear ahead. like hounds in full
cry. toiled tile unwilling luggage bear
ers. From the windows and doorways
of every house. from the baznars and
cafes, from the side streets and
mosque approaches, the gaze of the
sulIen populace fastened itself upon
the little procession. The town seemed
ominously silent.
At last they came to the end of the
sunlit street and plunged into the
shady road that assembled the slope
through what seemed to be an abso-
lutely unbroken though gorgeous jun
gle. The cool green depths looked most
alluring to the sun baked travellers.
They could almost Imagine that they
heard the dripping Of fountains. the
gurgling of rivulets. SO like paradise
was the prospect ahead. Lady Agnes
could not restrain her cries Of delight
ed amaZemeat.
Its like this oil over the island
your lad1shlp." volunteered Mr.
Bowles. mopping his brow~in a mos
unmilitary way Except at the mines
and back there in the town.
Where arg the mines?" asked Dep
bingham.
The company's biggest mines arr
seven or eight miles eastward as thu
crow flies. quite at the other side O,
the island. It's very rocky over there
and there's no place for n landing
from the sea. Everything is brough
overland to Arafat and placed in thu
vaults of the bank. -Four times veal
the rubies and supphires are shipped
to the brokers III London and Pari
and Vienna. It's quite neat and reg
ular arrangement. sir
But l should think the confoundet
natives would steal everything the,
got their hands on"
"Whnt would he the use, sir? The,
couldn't dispose of Il single gem on thu
island, and nothing is taken away from
here except in the company's chests
Besides. my lord. these people are no
thieves. They may kill people occ,,
ssaifaiiy. but they are quite honest, be
iieve me- And. III any event. are the
not a part of the great corporation
They have their share in the working
of the mines and in the profits. MI
'Wyckholme and Mr.. Skaggs were hon
est With them. and they have bee
Just as honest in return"
-
II should think they'd be terribl.
tempted" said Lady Agnes. '"rhe.
look SO wretchedly poor"
my lady," said Bowles, there ar
but four poor men on the island-my
self and the three Englishmen who or
crate the bank. There isn't poo
man, woman or child among the na
tives. This is truly land of ricl
men. The,superintendent Of the mine
is white mana German--and TIL
three foremen are Beers. They wor
on shares, just as the natives do, an
save even more, think. The clerica
force is entirely native. There wer
but ten white men here before 20
came, including two Greeks. Bcin
part owners the natives have decide
that four hours constitute Il day
work. They pay themselves accord
ingly, as IT were. No one works arte
midday, SIR"
Il say, wouldn't this be paradise
for the English workingman:" sal,
Deppingham. "Thats the kind o
days labor they'd like. Do you meal
to say that these fellows trudgc cigh
miles to work every morning and bacl
again at noon?'
Certainly not. sir. They ride thei
thoroughbred horses to work and rid
them back again."
You take my breath away" said tn
other, .lapsing into stunned silence.
The road had become so steep ant
laborious by this time. that Bowie
was very glad to forego the pleasur
of talking. He fell back with Nj
Saunders and proceeded to give til
inGuisitive lawyers clerk all the lat
news of the island.