Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-25
CHAPTER xv11-Continued.

Nothing to equal Warden's journey had
been done of recent years. 1t stood alone,
a record of almost unexampled fortitude
and endurance.
He would never have reached the up
per waters of the Niger were il not for
the blue cotton wrap taken from the
| Prophet of FL Hanna, when that ua-
amiable person was left bound and
| gagged at Lektawa. So deeply had the
Blue Mans repute penetrated into the
desert that among Mohammedan tribes
the mere sight of his robe was more
powerful than an armed escort. In a
| nasty search through the prophets apart
| ment Warden found his own revolver.
two Remington repeating rifles with Il
supply of cartridges, and stock of gold
dust in quilts, the most portable form
of desert currency. The blue rag supplied
| moral the arms and gold material aid.
but the tremendous journey still re-
manned an undertaking fraught with
every possible danger Not until the small
party reached Timbuktu could they re-
gard themselves AS possessing even a
moderate chance of ultimate success. In
that city Benz Kali left his daughter with
relatives. No consideration would part
him from the Seyyid Here was a mas
ter worth serving. one who never thought
only of himself. but who was ready at
any moment to risk life or limb in aid of
those who were faithful to his interests.
Moreover. he showed rare sport. and
Benz Kali was born adventurer.
So the pair came down the Niger and.
when Warden learned that matters were
quiet at Oku, he formed the daring plan
of preserving his incognito even from the
British officials at towns i'm the more set
tied regions. He fancied that by MAIN
! tanning his pose Arab firebrand he
might venture to enter Oku itself. He
had spoken nothing but Arabic during SO
many months that he was now far more
glib in the language than many genuine
Arabs. who could not boast his experience
Of diverse tribes and varying dialects. He
deemed it best to let none know of his
scheme. The slightest hint that he had
crossed the Sahara would quickly find it's
way to Oku. and ii was his safegua rd
throughout that the Mahdi of the Atlas
had sent him to carry the fiery torch of
Islam to the remotest stronghOlds of the
faith. Oku was frankly pagan. it's people
Canniba1S, when occasion served. but be-
tween them and far-off Morocco lay the
strong link of hatred Of the white man S
rule.
Evelyn listened in silence while her
lover discoursed. Her eyes shone and her
lips were parted. More than once. when
some deft hint conveyed to her that his
thoughts dwelt ever with her, tender
little smile told him that she understood.
Colville, who insisted on joining them.
when the surgeon had dressed his injuries
for a ricochetting bullet had torn jag
broken his collar-bone-had heard from
Lagos something of the gOurd. He asked
Warden what had become of it.
1T is among my belongings at Lagos.
he said. AT least, l hope so. The skip
per of the Water Witch was a decent
sort of fellow
1T is here said Evelyn. quietly.
"Here!'
Half dozen voices cried in concert,
but she was looking at Warden.
"YOu gave il to me COWeS. she
went on.
yes. I did. but
But l refused it. WE'LL when they told
| me at Lagos that you were surely lost i'm
/ the desert. l asked for it, .I-I-almost
| believed it would bring us together
again.
Let's have look at it," chimed in
| Fairholme.
and her unwillingness to produce that
| sinister carving was not to be wondered
| at, for she had seen sufficient of the men
| of Oku during the past few hours to dis
turb her dreams for many year But
Warden joined in the chorus of persua-
sion, and she brought the canvas bag
| from her room.
please open it, she said to her lover.
! II dare not Though l confess to an I'M
canny confidence in it's power. L am still
| afraid of it,
He drew forth the calabash with sud
, den movement. hoping to startle some OF
the onlookers by the extraordinary vital
| ity of Domenico Garcia's masterpiece.
but Evelyn alone was affected, and she
uttered cry of dismay.
1T is ruined" she exclaimed. THE
moist heat has destroyed the lacquer.
| Even the eyes have gone: on. Arthur.
please do throw it away this time. The
| thing is dead!'
In her excitement she had used exactly
| the right phrase. The man of Oku was
| dead, in fact. decomposed. His face had
| melted away. his mosaic eyes had FALLEN
out the hooking smile worthy of a tri-
umpllant demon had faded from his thick
| lips. In truth, the mask on the gourd
was mere travesty of it's former self.
| Warden was quite as bewildered as the
girl
most amazing coincidence I have ever
| known. It knocks any Of my adventures
| into a cooked hat. Just think OF it-this
thing lived / tell you. 1t was superb
| creature of genius. 1t must have been
found two hundred years ago. when some
Portuguese or Spaniards looted Benin
! 1t was brought to England only to he lost
| in sailing ship that foundered on the
! east side of the Isle Of Wight. After pass
| ing couple of centuries under the sea.
| it bobbed up serenely one day last Au-
gust, disturbed from it's resting place
| when the emperor's yacht struck the
sunken wreck firmly believe it was
! made within few miles of this very
place, yet it survived through the ages
until the hour when the Oku power is
broken for ever, and now it is destroyed
Did you ever hear anything like 1t? Sure
ly this is thing not dreamed of in our
philosophy"
None but Evelyn among those present
could share his opinion. 1t was impos-
sible for any one who had not seen the
calabash on the deck Of the Nancy to pic
ture the malign fascination of that craven
face.
But Warden was convinced of his
theory. To please his lady, he babe
Benz Kali take the gOurd and throw it
on the smoldering embers of the mission
huts. And so ended the pilgrimage of the
grim contrivance fashioned by Domenico
Garcia to carry his story to the world
that had forgotten him. 1t persisted In
the ashes of the old Kadana, on the site
where new enterprise would soon mark
the practical inception of Hume's day
dream.
Nor was the hour far distant when all
in that room remembered Warden's en-
phatic words. Next day came messengers
from the King of Oku. His majesty de-
plored the excuses caused by the evil
cOunsels OF certain professors of ju-ju.
These men, difficult TO control. were aided
and abetted by a notorious Portuguese
half-caste, one Miguel F'iguero to Wit,
who had helped the Oku rebels by i'm
porting arms from foreign territory and
generally disturbing the peace of the
kingdom.
"I have now dealt with Fisuero and
the Others" said MWanga through his