The Lamar register., 1919-12-17
CHAPTER XII.

MacCloster's craal was n master
piece of ingenuity. In its center rose
he stupendous Gaia that had aston
lshed Andrea even from a mile away.
Around the monster hut was an i'm
passable bona or barrier of thorns
pierced by a single entrance; outside
The bona. in the form Of ring, came
an enormous beaten court which en-
braced large shade tree, indispensa-
ble as nucleus for pow-wows and
mems gossip. Around the beaten circle
were three thickly serrated rows Of
nuts and their dependent outhouses.
Enclosing the entire human beehive
was a stockade of giant cactus with an
arched entrance at each point Of the
compass.
Aside from the repulsive fundamen-
tai idea of the enterprise MacCloster's
establishment was astonishingfy
moral. II was true that he had con-
tracted for over hundred and eighty
wives In strict accordance with native
law but 1t was equally true that he
allotted this army of consorts. without
exception, TO veritable husbands Of
his own choosing. The only point Of
divergence from native custom was
that he demanded no payment of obolo
from these drones and as conse-
luence retained the right Of disposal
of their female offspring.
This innovation would have struck
At the root of the Africans conception
OF vested interests had II not been for
The ginnt singers canny astuteness In
facilitating to the drones the purchase
II one wife each In their own right,
thus killing two birds with one stone;
for the native male normally works
but once In his life and that to earn
the sum with which to acquire the
mate who will not only thenceforth
support him but eventually bring him
a return of two or three fold on his
Investment.
As consequence, MacCioster never
lacked boatboys. machilla carriers,
IVORY hunters or porters and controlled
as well an army of women and girls
whose spare time was applied first to
the preparation of food and wood and
water fetching and then to the culti-
vation of the enormous shambas
which produced corn and millet In
great abundance for the lucky mem
bers OF the close corporation.
That there was subtle poison at
work somewhere in this social cos
biography was evidenced by the fact
that while there wns always long
waiting list of recruits for the estab
iishment there was also n tendency on
the part OF many natives to face star
walton rather than accept the ques
uonable intrusion Of the white man in
the intimate structure Of their family
life. II was further evidenced by an
abnormal apathy which seemed TO
possess MacClosters people in direct
proportion to their increasing well-fed
and lazy sickness.
This. however. was a phenomenon
that did not trouble him so long as
there was constant demand in ex-
cess Of the supply of marriageable
girls; on the contrary while IL puzzled
him. he welcomed it as making toward
the easy enforcement of a strict dis
cipline In all matters that affected
the internal life Of the strange camp,
he was sole arbiter beyond any cavil-
ling, and martinez.
Andrea could have taken rea-
sonably calm interest IN all the details
that crowded TO her attention during
her rapid progress into the heart of
MacClosters stronghold had 1t not
been for an incident that revivified all
her fear and repugnance toward the
man and which occurred as they en-
tered the ring court MacCloster strid-
ing ahead of her, suddenly paused and
his horrible face apparently achieved
the impossible by undergoing a de-
basing transformation.
His eyes had fallen on a group of
carriers. newly arrived. and the crew
of his freight boat The negroes were
squatting In circle on guard, waiting
to make delivery to their master of
various cases. Some of them evident
ly contained cloth. cutlery and knick-
knacks dear to Jhe native heart, but