The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-10-16

the WIG background of the tale OF
courage r endurance, of adventure
with man and beast, poisonous snakes
and lasects-a tale possible only tic
the tropics-the figure of one mar
stood out. Yes, the figure of the man
called David Noel stood out like that
OF a living man standing before a wall
OF painted scenes laid on in crude,
barbaric colors: pictures of men and
things, among which he was the only
reality. Bruce, listening dazedly, head
IN hands, seemed to see the actual wall
and the celebrated South American
standing before it. He himself never
had met David Noel, soldier, explorer,
statesman-and popular man. But he
Vlsloned him as arrogant success en-
bodied in one of the local types he
knew, a powerful leader in a country
without middle class, a country of big
whites" and submissive masses. He
had known him to be a man Of power;
the Little Bald One" was showing him
to be a man of action, a fighter in
the TRANCE green tropical wilderness
as well as in the conflicts of cities and
civilization. Bruce c~ontrasted his w
life with thai of this other man with
wonder rather than bitterness. How
had he slipped into so deep an abyss,
in the very places where the other had
walked so securely? He felt quite
sure that David Noel would have killed
as he had killed in the like circum-
stance. The story to which he listened
seemed to prove SO much to him. Why
had the black walls closed around one
man n not the other?
Drawn into listening and contem-
plating he had forgotten the riders who
were free, n the spider, also free for
a time. He was justly aggrieved when
the abrupt cessation of the monolog
startled him from his welcome abstrac-
ton as a man is startled from sleep.
After waiting a moment vainly for the
Little Bald One" to continue, Bruce
languidIy lifted his head from his hand
For n dazed moment he had all
the sensations of an ~occultist who has
materialized a solid matter out of mind
vapors. Against the wall opposite the
door, a wall painted by a. ray Of sun
light to an unfamiliar brightness, stood
a man In a gray linen riding costume,
holding a curious riding whip or. gray
braided leather in his hand, his gray
eyes intent upon the prisoner. He was
not playing with the riding whip. Aft
erward Bruce learned this man had
no such nervous habits; when he stood
still he was still as an animal at
watch. He was still now, so still as to
excuse Bruce's momentary doubt,
hampered as he was by his nearsfght-
edness. OF his guests reality. Slowly
the American arose from his STOOL
peering with anxious fixity at the fig
ure in the corridor. AS he moved for
ward, he more clearly distinguished
the man. The stranger was, perhaps,
half a dozen years older than Bruce
himself, Of medium height from the
northerner's point Of view, built very
powerfully, and had a dark face too
strong for handsomeness. Plumbing
for an appropriate speech, Bruce
muffed his Portuguese rather badly.
Good day." he stammered. Tt.
excuse my staring, but Im"-he,
touched his eyes in a futile attempt
to remember any word expressive of
short sight-"my eyes are bad" he fin
ished lamely.
What he actually said was that hts
yes were wicked" but the other man
did not smile. Indeed, Bruce presented
a SOLDERING spectacle OF misery and de-
lection, rather enhanced than relieved
by tine tremulous animation aroused
in him by this visit.
Senior Bruce? My name is David
.Nyce!,, re spoke in ssnceth and ex-
.quisfte Portuguese Il am sorry to
don as Bruce would have spoken
Might you not prefer to speak Eng
lfsh?r
Bruce, already startled by the Hen-
tfty Of the other man, and his knowl-
edge Of what David Noel could do for
him # he chose, was owerjoyed by tho
question that released his tongue from
the, bondage of the half known lam
gIage.
by Jore, l certainly would" he
gratefully exclaimed. Il have heard
a lot about you. of course; but I
never happened to learn that you n
derstand English. Yes, I am about
half blind without my glasses. My
eyes are am right, you know, except for
lack Of them. But they are q big
gEack!"
Broken. I suppose?" queried Noel.
He continued to speak in Portuguese
and to look s~teadfastly at the pris-
oner-
Bruce nodded rueflFlly.
"a fellow pulled them cef when I
was arrested, and put his heel on
Them
"Here.~
mo, sir, back in the camp, at the
bridge. I had some extra glasses in,
my grip, but I was hustled off before
I could get at them. No doubt the
natives cleaned up everything in sight,
as soon as we were out Of sight, after
l."
"After you killed the man." finished