Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1919-12-12

narrowing to peculiar look she had
never seen in them before, such a lool,
as one Is apt to connect only with
mystics, fanatics, ardent believers and
thoroughly out of keeping with the
conception Of the White Man she hal
buildcd for herself.
why, White Mani" she cried.
what do you mean2 What's come
over your"
He looked away and then back at
her. "Well," he said, a quizzical CLEAN
creeping into his eyes, "who's afraid !?
Why shouldn't tell once more q thing
that's been written a hundred times
hy greater adopts than and never be-
lieyed? It's this. Andrea Pellor. Don't
set yourself too high above the native
and his worship Of the greatest of
beasts, for he knows what you can't
even believe and that is that elephants
nre killed, they never die. In all the
centuries that blacks, Arabs and
whites have padded the myriad trails
OF Africa, no man has ever seen or
age or any other natural cause"
His eyes hardened ON her face. "You
seer" he whispered. "You can't be-
lleve 1t. Elephants never die"
Leading the march home over the
back trail, M'sungo set a pace that kept
Marguerite at jogging trot. Andrea
protested but to no avail. M'sungo,
comfortably smoking pipe after pipe,
had withdrawn into one Of those male
Ravens of the mind that remains mar
velously untroubled by the tongues Of
women. Andrea sulked.
When they arrived at the river,
there being but three natives in their
reduced following, M'sungo promptly
took his place as one Of the four pail
bearers to Marguerite. There was
something about being carried even in
part by white man that seemed to
appeal to the old rogue's sense of hui
NOR. He threw up his barrel-long head
and prayed an accompaniment to his
triumphal progress into the scow. No
sooner was he deposited than Msungo
seized his tail and bore down on it
with all his weight. The music sud-
denly ceased.
But Andrea's clear laughter still
rang out. "Oh," she cried when she
could speak, "he is clever. 1 didn't
realize how ridiculous you were until
he laughed!" She let herself go
again. Msungo glared at her.
sand you were brutal" she contin-
ued. "You pulled his TAIL"
II pulled his tail to make him shut
up" said M'sungo. II wish" he
paused.
"Say it," cried Andrea. "You wish
you could make me shut up. Well, you
can't. I'm going to laugh all like.
Listenw
She opened wide her mouth for q
stage "Ha Ha Ha" but it never got
out. M'sungo threw his arms around
her and snatched her to him. His lips
came closer and closer to hers. In his
eyes was an exasperated twinkle
'Please DON'T" he begged.
Andrea glanced down her nose al
his lips, saw that they had halted in
their advance on hers and decided to
struggle free from his embrace. "WhS
shouldn't II" she asked argumenta.
lively. "What is there about this
muggy old river that has you--has you
bluffedT
"A lot Of things" began M'sungo
his eyes shifting.
Andrea watched him shrewdly
''Tell me. White Man." she concluded
what Is the one reasonf"
She saw doubt and then a sudden
decision come into his face. "All
right" he said. "Tn tell you tonight
They reached the home craal at the
setting Of the sun. In rapid succession
came tea, hot bath, fresh clothes
and dinner. With the first puff at hel
cigarette Andrea settled back In hel
chair and said, "Now."
The man did not pretend to be at 6
loss for her meaning. He nodded, Iii
his cigar and sat down. "All right y
he said, 'l1l trust you. Here's the
cat out Of the bag. I'm not the
only white man In this bit of coun
try. There's another who came IL
across the wilderness and has his camp
about forty miles up the river. His
business and mine have one thing ant
one thing only. thank God, in common
They are both clandestlne. AS it hap
pens, don't think he knows or care
what I'm up to, but know all abou
him, because on those rare occasions
when he comes down the river he Il
invariably roaring drunk. His tongue
never stops"
Does he-ever?" asked Andrea.