The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-12-01

even for a native village The slave
trade wiped the niggers OF this coast,
and l guess those that hit out up
country ran so hard they haven't been
able to get back yet"
But it has been years since the
slave trade was forbidden"
: And they don't sell beer in Kansas
oh, no! Ill bet the dhows still slip
over from Madagascar when the moon
is in the right quarter. At any rate,
niggers are mighty scarce or mighty
shy around here. I've kept a watch
for smoke, and haven't seen a sus-
picion of it anywhere. Maybe the
swamps swing around inland and cut
of this strip of coast. 1t looked that
way to me when I made that trip
along the ridge. But there's a chance
it used to be inhabited. and We may
run across an abandoned village"
Il do not see that the discovery
would do us any good"
How about the chance OF grain or
bananas still growing? But that's all
a guess. We're going because We
need a change"
She nodded and FASTENED to pre-
pare breakfast, while he packed a skin
bag with food and examined the slen-
der tips of his arrows. AS a matter
of precaution, he had been keeping
them in the cigarette case. where the
points would be certain of a coat of
the sticky poison and at the same time
guarded against inflicting a: chance
wound But as he Was now about to
set out ON . journey he fitted tips into
the heads Of his two straightest
shafts.
The morning was still fresh when
they closed the barricade behind them
and descended to the pool. There was
no game in sight. but Blake had no
wish to hunt at the commencement
of the trip. The steady southwest
wind had blown the sky clear Of its
malarial haze and gave promise Of
day which should know nothing of
sultry calm-a day on which game
would be hard to stalk. but one per-
fectly suited for a long tramp.
Mindful OF ticks. Blake headed OBJ
liquely across to the beach. Opce on.
the smooth, hard sand, they swung
along at q brisk pace. light-hearted
and keen with the spirit Of adventure.
Never had they felt more compan-
ionable. Miss Leslie laughed and
chatted and sang snatches of songs.
while Blake beat time with his club.
or sought to whistle grand opera-he
had healed his blistered lips some
time before by liberal applications Of
antelope tallow.
Gulls and terms circled about them
or lowered over the water ready to
svoop down upon their inny prey.
Sandpipers ran along the beach within
q stones throw. but the curlews
showed their greater knowledge of
mankind by keeping beyond gunshot.
Once q great flock Of geese drove
high overhead, their leader honking
the alarm as they swept above the
suspicious figures on the beach. Like
the curlews, they had knowledge of
mankind. But the flock of white
pelicans which came sailing along in
stately leisure on their immense
wings foated past SO low that Blake
felt certain he could shoot one. He
raised his bow and took aim. but re-
Trained from shooting at the thought
that 1t might be a sheer waste Of his
precious poison.
A little later q herd Of large ami
mails appeared on the border Of the
grass jungle. but wheeled and dashed
back into cover so quickly that Blake
barely had time to make out that they
were buffaloes-the first he had seen
on this coast, but easily recognized by
their resemblance to the Cape va,
riety. Their flight gave him small
concern; for the time being he was
more interested in topography than
game.