Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-07-08
CHAPTER XIII

Johnny Johnson and Larry Morris
arrived in Algiers early in August. 1t
was hot and the dust was equalled only
by the flies. Larry spoke a little
French. Johnny nothing but English.
They were both seasick and both tired
Or the task they had set themselves
upon. IN Chicago darkest Africa had
looked to .hem rather a small and un-
important province, 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
brief and restful interlude. Later the
mirth and rAbaldry 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 flies over molasses. Within,
woman, she looked to be an Ameri-
can at that, blonde and full figured,
singing an atrociOus French song with
an even more atrocious Maine accent.
Between verses she mingled the cake
walk
Let's get out of this" said Larry.
"Juhn, look at the negro o"er there.
Did you ever see such Colossus in
| your life?"
More than the two newspaper men
were watching the negro in question
He was nearly seven feet high, mag
nihcent in mis- 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 lls
mouth and in the lines along his nos
tiils.
Standing in the corner close to the
stage, he was regarding the pitifu
thing that gamboled there with the
same impassive pity that a maj
watches a butcher kill a little squeal.
ing pig. The pig is not worth much il
| the asthetic scale as life goes, bu
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 o.
being pig, and provides for his trans
mogrification into another shape.
AS the two Americans turned to lool
at the negro he was leaving the cafe
coal-black pulchritude. The dancer
noting this waver of allegiance, lurch
ed forward and kicked into the al
with deft aim. One gaudy red satil
slipper flew directly through the crowt
and grazed the giant on the back, fail
ing within a foot or two of the tw
Americans.
That was a good shot!" calculate
Johnny. Larry Morris was watchin
the muscles working in the African
face as he stopped to pick up the slip
per.
Because I'm black" he heard tn
man mutter, in pure English. BE
cause I'm black"
Straight through the crowd strod
the black man, and up to the stage
overturning half of the tables in hi
| way % went. NJ lilV LOOlh5hto II
leaned over, held out the shoe an
beckoned for the dancer to place he
foot within it. But the women, witt
the whimsicality of her sex, turned he
head away and smote the Africal
twice across the cheek.
The black man Strengthened himsel
up like a steel bar, uncurved in
white hot furnace. He took the sho
and flung it at the dancer, lightly bu
accurately. 1t struck her across he
painted mouth, and the steel plate Of
the heel tore the gentle skin of he
full lip. The blood streamed down il
a tiny thread over her chin and drop
per on her white shoulders.
The habitues of the cafe could no
endure this trea atment of their favorite
Pandemonium was loosed. Bottles
lamps, glasses, even chairs. they hurl
ed at the retreating figure of the Afri
can. He was cut and bruised in
dozen places and almost overcome, 70
the strength of a Hercules could no
have resisted such onslaughts. John
son and Morris had gone out of tn
door when the riot began, and wer
turning down the street when tn
black burst out, winded, painting, an
closely pursued.
BY the curb stood an automobile
a great red touring car; it belonged :,
Suiveler, the Associated Press man a
Algiers. A weak, dissipated little fel
low, Suiveler was at that moment tn
foremost in consoling the dancer.
Larry Morris thought quickly. III
knew Suiveler well; they had worke
together in the States, and the negr
interested him
Crank her, Johnny" he cried. point
ing to the automobile, and while John
ny cranked the machine Morris hus
tied the black within the car, threy
from his perch the dazed chauffeur an
In three minutes the black, Larry Nor
ris and johnson, in Suiveler's car, wer
headed for the desert with the mo
bowling hyena like behind them.
"Au right, old fellow; we'll hel