The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-01-24
Copyright by
Frank A. Munscy Co.
XII.
A NiQht Ride.

UlSluuCe Ilulnb ucIooo lht pam
the bungalow.
Bwana shaded his eyes with his hand
and gazed out toward the oncoming
rider. He was puzzled. Strangers
were few in central Africa. Even the
blacks for a distance of many miles in
every direction were well known to
him. No white man came within u
hundred miles that word Of his com
Ing did not reach Rwana long before
the stranger. His every move was re-
ported to the big Bwana-just what
animals he killed and how many OF
each species, how he killed them. too.
for Bwana would not permit the use
of prussic acid or s~trychnine, and how
he treated his boys"
But here was evidently me who had
slipped into the country unheralded.
Bwana could not imagine who the ap-
preaching horseman might be.
After the manner of frontier hospi-
tality the globe round, he met the new
conner at the gate, welcoming him even
before he had d~ismOunted. lie saw q
tall. well-knit man Of thirty or more,
blond of hair and smooth-shaven.
There was a tantalizing familiarity
about him that convinced Bwana that
he should be able to call the visitor by
name, yet he was unable to do so.
Bwana was wondering how a lone
white man could have made his way
through the savage, unacceptable miles
49, -. D..,.A thn south ctbn,vh
guessing what must be passing through
the Others mind, the stranger vouch-
safed an explanation.
81 came down from the north to do a
little trading and hunting" he said,
"and 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 ma no natives to guide us, and
so simply swung back straight north.
our guns for over Il month.
Didn't have an Idea there was a
white man within Il thousand miles of
us when we camped last night by a
water hole at the edge of the plain.
This morning | started out to hunt and
saw the smoke from your chimney, so
i sent my gun bearer back to camp
with the good news and rode straight
owe here myself. OF course I've heard
Of yOu-everybOdy who IN into CEN
trail Africa does-and I'd be mighty
glad Of permission to rest up and hunt
around here for a 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 interis
or.
"This Is Mr.. Hanson" he said, using
the name the man had given him. He
Is a trader who has lost his way In the
jungle to the south"
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 pretext 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.
at is odd" she said, but l could
almost swear that / 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-
manned. 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, intrusting
the leadership Of each to men whom
he believed he could trust.
One party he moved very slowly
northward along the trail that connects
Will thC 6lCut iOutNo
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.
To his host he explained that he was
moving his safari slowly toward the
north-he said nothing of the party
moving westward. Then n day he
announced that half his boys had de-
serted. for a hunting party from the
bungalow had rome across his north
erly camp. and he feared that they
might have noticed the reduced num-
bers Of his following.
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