Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-11-13

StTenHtn OK INC Opposing purpOS0s'
The mans purpose won out. Andrea
dropped her eyes and followed him.
lie passed swiftly through the kraal
and along o well-known path that led
TO the fringe of the forest. Under an
enormous mafuta tree the butchers
were at work. four to each carcass,
SHINING, cutting, hacking with prac.
ticed hands. The meat was being piled
In heaps, and at each heap was sta
toned black captain. Under his
direction host Of helpers were cutting
the flesh into minute portions.
Beyond the limits of the trees far.
flung branches squatted a black army
men with assegais In their hands
women and children with queer conical
baskets in their laps. Physically these
people were. without exception, Joy
TO the eye, but beyond them, grouped
together under another tree and hope
lcssly staring, was a small band that
brought sudden tears to Andreas eyes.
Never before had she seen human
bones and skin without flesh, live eyes
staring from the skeleton emblem Of
death.
At last the division Of the sangul.
nary spoil was completed. The we'll
fed army lined up, each and every man
accompanied by woman or child as
beast for the small burden. These men
were also provided with individual
brass checks. which they cast into
the baskets at the feet Of the captain
upon receipt Of their portion Of meat.
At the end, to Andrea's amaZement,
the tally was exact except that 1t left
the starving group out Of the CONT.
Through II all the white man had
stood grimly by, uttering not a word
and leaving her to the assistance o
her own intelligence. She began to
understand f; the possessors Of the brass
checks had worked for them. But her
eyes fingered pitifully on the starving,
She turned to the man with ges.
ture Of pteading-pieading for pardon
for herself. mercy for the silent suffer.
Ing. "What about theseT' she asked,
"They will receive q ration Of mil.
let" he answered. Tomorrow the
men will crawl to the forests, twice a
week they will get meat checks. In o
month they and their families will be
fat and sleek. We refuse no one who
wishes to work."
He turned to lead the way back to
the kraal and, once there. promptly
disappeared into his hut. Half an hour
later Andrea was nervously moving
about her room, wondering whether to
put on her frock or not, when Rathtub
arrived with q message. Did she wish
to dine alone or with M'sunso7
Tell your master" she answered
that I VIII dine with him with pleas
ure." ~ g.
During the meal. the white man
talked, giving her listlessly certain ex-
planstory information. Eight months
ago." he said, II struck this country.
1t was desolation.,< In spite Of the big
river. which Is quite near By, the whole
district was In famine. I passed
through ruined kraal after ruined
kraal, and In some OF them dead bodies
lay about, too dried out 10 life even
10 rot. The game swarmed rs 1t does
only In dry seasons. and thrived."
Andrea held both hands out toward
him ~ though to stop him. Don't"
she cried, don't think I haven't un.
derstoodi" I'D : - h,Et
upon my word" remarked the man
dryly. "you're getting sincere!"
She sank back In her chair with
look Of reproach, but he did not notice
it. I'm telling you." he continued, II
came to hunt and recover" he
paused. . 80. . q, p
Andrea could not keep her eyes from
glancing toward the airplane. 1t was
as though she had followed his hidden
thought. He flushed slightly, changed
his sentence and finished, "And for
another purpose. But almost on the
lay Of arrival I made a discovery In
the forest. Out of it has grown an
industry that employs hundreds Of ma.
lives and never refuses new recruit.
l am working absolutely without title
and should You return to civilization,
my ruin would be quite within your
grasp" '
l r.