The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-02-01


/ little trading ara hunting he' satt
land got way off the beaten track. My
head man, who was the only member
| of the safari who had ever before been
| in the country, took sick and died. We
could find no natives to guide us, and
/ so simply swung back straight uQrth.
We have been living on the fruits OF
| our guns for over a month.
Didn't have an idea there was
| white man within thousand miles of
US when We camped last night by a
water hole at the edge Of the plain.
This morning l started out to hunt and
saw the smoke from your chimney, so
l sent my gun bearer back to camp
I with the good news and rode straight
over here myself. Of course I've heard
| of you-everybody who comes into CEN
trail Africa does-and Ed be mighty
glad of permission to rest, up and hunt
around here for couple of weeks.
Certainly" replied Bwana. Make
yourself at home"
They had reached the veranda now,
and Bwana was introducing the stran-
ger to Meriem and My Dear, who had
just come from the bungalows interi-
or. sA. ..
This is Mr. Hanson" he said, using
the name the man had given him. "Iie
is trader who has lost his way in the
jungle to the south" A.
My Dear and Meriem bowed their
acknowledgements of the Introduction.
The man seemed rather i'll at ease in
their presence. His host attributed this
to the fact that his guest was unaccus-
toned to the society Of cultured Wo-
men, and so found a prete1t to extrI-
cate him quickly from his seemingly
unpleasant position and lead him away
to his study and the brandy and soda,
which were evidently much less EN-
barrassing to Mr.. Hanson.
When the two had left them Meriem
turned toward My Dear.
1T is odd," she said "but I eo"!d
almost swear that I had known Mr..
Hanson in the past. 1t is odd, but
quite impossible" and she gave the
matter no further thought.
For three weeks Hanson had re-
mained. During this time he said that
his boys were resting and gaining
strength after their terrible ordeals in
the untracked jungles to the south, but
he had not been as idle as he appeared
to have been. He divided his small
following into two parts, intrustlng-
the leadership of each to men whom
he believed he could trust.
!, One party he moved very slowly
'riorthward along the trail that connects
with the great caravan routes entering
the Sahara from the south. The other
he ordered straight westward with or
ders to halt and go into permanent
camp just beyond the great river which
marks the natural boundary of the
country that the big Bwana rightfully
considers almost his own. -. s:is -
To his host he explained that he was
moving his .safari slowly toward the
north-he said nothing of the party
moving westward. Then one day he
announced that half his boys had de-
serted, for a hunting party from the
bungalow had come across his north
erIy camp, and he feared that they
might have noticed the reduced num-
bers of his following. -.s .--.
And thus matters stood when one
hot night Meriem, unable to sleep. rose
and wandered out into the garden. The
Hon. Morrison had been urging his suit
once more that evening, and the girls
mind was in such turmoil that she
had been unable to sleep.