The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-12-13

when you begin to get hot" con
tinued M'sungo. "iust take off what
YOU don't want and drop it, We peo
pie ahead can't lose anything if we
try. The boys used To pick up my
dead mntcheS until | stopped them
When you come ~ the bush, shed your
skirt get off Marguerite and leave
him. Walk lightly and hang on till
you drop. If you last long enough
you'll see me take the big gun. That's
the beginning of the end and when II
happens YOU are to do Just one thing
Look around you. Somewhere near
you are bound to see a big tree loom
ing out of the bush. Go to II. hug it,
stay with it whatever happens till
call you"
A moment later they were off at n
terrific pace. the tracker In the lead,
MsungO next, then the gunbearers,
Andrea, and after her the tagging rest.
For hours they kept on with
out a break or n pause.
Andrea watched M'sungos long stride,
fascinated by its unvarying pendulum
swing. The gunbearers took shorter
steps They walked plvoting on the
ball Of the foot; just before each step,
their heels jerked inward sharply for
the thrust back. She leaned forward !:
Marguerite had his eyes wide open.
He seemed to be breathing softly. as
tnn hnnt on. MIA vi q
the game.
Quite suddenly they came out of the
forest into broken NANCY space. The
heat and glare was terrific. Here and
there were scraggy groups of thorn
apparently burnt up by the sun. but In
reality very much alive. To one side,
an enormous acacia east its grateful
blot of shade. The tracker, pausing
at last looked straight up, transfixed
in an eloquent pose.
Andrea followed his gaze. At an
incredible height she saw branch,
freshly broken Her reason battled
with Incredibly; 1t told her that only
one thing could have reached the
branch and snapped 1.-THE up-hung
trunk of the rearing beast they were
following. For the first time in her
life, measuring again that height, she
felt actual awe. M'sungo cast glance
ever his shoulder. His face was alight;
his eyes shone with swimming bril-
lance.
A few minutes later they came to
the ragged edge of the elephant bush.
The tracker cast left and right with
quick, jerky steps. Here the three
bulls had separated; Joyful sign, for 1t
showed intention to feed. The tracker
came to halt, dropped the tip of his
assegai shaft to chosen spoor.
M'sungo looked back at Andrea impa-
She threw herself from Mar
guerite's back and hastily stripped off
her jersey, unbuttoned her skirt and
let ii fall. She stood in helmet. khaki
shirt and breeches, puttees and tight.
~ laced boots-an adorable study in
brown. But M'sungo had no time for
artistic effects; he turned from her
with a nod and plunged into the bush
in the wake Of the tracker.
Fortunately for Andrea the going
was now much slower II was not that
the spoor was harder to follow-in
fact, 1t was much easier, for through
the jungle of stunted saplng no man
could pass save where an elephant
had plowed a way-but that now every
indication of the games progress had
10 be read, studied and accurately val
ued. Here began the exercise of that
finished science which M'sungo had
placed so high, giving due credit to
hose forerunners who had marked its
stages with their lifes blood.
The state of a parted vine. or half
leaf bore some message
Upon the true reading of which hung
ire Slower and slower fell the pace
md in measured proportion silence I
vas born and seemed to grow and |
spread and throb till 1t hung in the
mist. Beneath it the heart beat with |
In irregular rat-tat-tat and breath |
.ame in hurried gasps. In spite of the |
men before her, Andrea felt alone, |
drift on sea of unseen but lowering |
,erils. She looked over her shoulder.
)nly Bathtub was in sight behind her,
ense, one foot In air, waiting for her
o take her next step before he placed
lis foot. His naked body. exposed to
he merciless sun, streamed with
weat.
Andrea's shoulders ached from
lolding her arms before her face to
yard off the Unfortunately encroaching
ines and branches that seemed to op-
ose the way. but invariably parted at