The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-04-07
CHAPTER Kill

Johnny Johnson and Larry Morris
arrived in Algiers early In August. IT
was hot and the dust was equai,ed only
by the flies. Larry spoke a little
French. Johnny nothing but English.
They were both seasick and both tired
OF the task they had set themselves
upon. In Chicago darkest Africa had
looked to them rather a small and un-
important province. a shrunken Rhode
Island. In Algiers darkest Africa over
Tapped every continent on the globe.
The apparent futility of the undertake
ing weighed them down.
Night fell. Then followed stars and
a subdued rumble of the city life for 4
brief and restful interlude. Later the
mirth and ribaldry OF the cafes-Al-
giers at her worst.
This was Africa. Bad enough on
the coast But to ship for the inland,
1t was an impossibility. They sought
forgetfulness In the cafes. Before one
in particular the crowds were swarm
ing like files over molasses. Within,
woman. she looked to be an Ameri-
can 1t that. blonde and full figured.
singing an atrocious French song with
an even more atrocious Maine accent
Between verses she mingled the cake
walk.
Lets get out of this" said Larry
John, look at the negro over there.
Did you ever see such a Colossus in
your life?"
More than the two newspaper men
were watching the negro In question.
He WAS nearly seven feet high, mag
nificent in his proportions, and dressed
in immaculate white duck. His fea-
lures were typically African, but ne
had the bearing OF ancient kings and
high intelligence lurked in his eyes.
and was planted at the corners of his
mouth and in the lines along his nos
trils.
Standing in the corner close to the
stage, lie was regarding the pitiful
thing that gamboled there with the
same impressive pity that a man
watches butcher kill little squeal-
ing pig. The pig is not worth much In
the aesthetic scale as life goes. but
through him life may be. sustained.
one pig more or less to feed the mass
es benefits the masses, and Is very
good for the pig. 1t let's him out OF
being pig, and provides for his trans
mogrifcation into another shape.
AS the two Americans turned to look
at the negro he was leaving the cafe
All eyes turned from the dancer to his
coal-black pulchritude. The dancer.
noting this waver of allegiance. lurch-
ed forward and kicked into the air
with deft aim. One gaudy red satin
slipper flew directly through the crowd
and grazed the giant on the back, fail
ing within foot or two of the two
Americans.
Ihat was a good shot" calculated
johnny. Larry Morris was watching
the muscles working in the Africans
iace as he stopped to pick up the slip
per
because I'm black" he heard the
man mutter. in pure English BE
cause I'm black"
straight through the crowd strobe
ihe black man. and up to the stage.
"Netturning half of the tables i'm his
way as ne vent. At the footlights ne
leaned over. held out the shoe ana
Deckoned for the dancer to place her
loot within it. But the women. with
the whimsicality of her sex, turned her
head away and smote the African
twice across the cheek.
The black man Strengthened himself
up ike steel bar, uncurved in a
white not furnace. He took the shoe
and nung 1t at the dancer, lightly but
accurately. 1t struck her across her