The Springfield herald., 1913-03-28

frIld
.yes bnt vou won't dare to shoot" Fox laughed
quietly.
"Wont dare! Why not should like to know"
Rogers answered back Il nave over huhdreo
armed men outside and you only nave 1our men
with you, so my men tell me-
Nevertheless you won't dare shoot me or mo-
lest my men, You are under arrest, Mt Rogers
for Illicit ivory-poaching. murder. entering
closed district without permit, and carrying
gun without license"
$50 that is what am charged with. is it,"
Rogers smiled grimly Have you no other
charges to prefer?"
mo, I'm a dying man. guess Do you know
you're in the Belgian territory. that you are sur
rounded by my men. and that you stand more
chance Of arrest than do!
You are mistaken. l am not In Belgian terri
tory and we need not discuss the chances Of my
arrest"
CAPTAIN Fox deemed 1t wise not to excite the
man any more and silently withdrew from the
room. Once outside. he set to work to disarm
the followers of the dying Rogers This was soon
accomnlished for they were cowed now that
their leader was helpless.
In the middle of the night native servant
came to Captain Fox to say that Rogers was dy-
ing and that he wished to speak to the officer
The soldiers did not want him to go Into the
house again. But Captain Fox not to be de-
tered.
As he entered the house. Rogers turned to his
white companion, saying:
Doctor, wish you to hear and be witness to
what / am going to say to Captain Fox. l sur
render myself voluntarily to the Sudan govern
ment. / want you to see that the doctor gets
into no trouble over this affair. captain be-
lieve l am dying man. 30 that am not going
to lie about It, This was my show and all my
work. The doctor is blameless."
On the following afternoon the three soldiers
who had been sent on ahead arrived at the VII
., tofth thatr
experience
They stated that on arriving in the poachers 8
stronghold Rogers ordered them to give up their
arms. He seized his Mauser rifle and opened
fire with 1t and revolver His companion the
doctor also fired on the soldiers with Winches-
ter. Others attacked them with Winchesters and
with arrows Had 1t not been almost dark, the
soldiers would have been killed and, as it was.
they all had narrow escapes, all of them being
hit
In the fighting Rogers was struck by a soldiers
bullet, which lodged the hip, but he walked
to his house and sat down in chair.
BY this time Captain Fox was satisfied that he
on Belgian territory and wrote to the Bel
gian commandant to explain the occurrence. Two
days later the Belgian officer arrived on the scene
with large escort>o of troops.
The day after the arrival Of the Belgians, Rog-
obviously dying. and sent for Fox He
toms.
Say, captain. you big fellow and strong.
Lift me up once more-for the last time" he
muttered. II shall not be here tomorrow. I'm
still pretty heavy, amt II"
Fox leaned over him and gently raised him on
the bed. with his under the dying mans
shoulders.
I'm sorry. Rogers" he said. But you brought
this on yourself"
Il know old man You're all right. would
rather have surrendered to you than any one.
Goodbye. Doc. Goodby. captain. Remember. the
doctor is innocent, all my sh-"
His head dropped back his spirit went to
render its last account to its Maker. Gently Fox
laid the body Of the poacher on the bed and then
turned away to escape the sorrow of the doctor.
who was deeply unstrung by his friends death.
And SO this man died. far away from his friends
and country. Full Of courage and grit to the end.
his fate worthy Of better cause So did the
curtain fall upon the most dramatic tragedy in
the history of the Congo elephantpoachers.