The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-12-20

ileved? It's this, Andrea Pellor. Do,,t
ser yourself too high above The native
ana his worship OF the greatest If
beasts, for he knows what Won cop,t
even believe and that is tnat elephants
are Killed, they never die. In MI tbe
centuries that blacks, Arabs md
whites have padded the myriad trails
OF AFRICA. no man has ever seen or
heard of an elephant dying from old
age or any other natural cause"
HIS eyes hardened on her face. "You
seer he whispered. "You can't he
1eve 1t. Elephants never die"
Leading the march home over tho
back trail, M'sungo set pace that kent
marguerite at a jogging trot. Andrea
protested but to no avail. M'supgo.
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had withdrawn into one Of those male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 M'sungo
seized his tail and bore down on It
with all his weight. The music sud-
denly ceased.
BIT Andrea's clear laughter still
rang out. "Cil," she cried when she
could speak. "he Is clever. l didn't
realize how ridiculous you were until
he laughedl" She let herself go
again. M'sungo glared at her.
"And you were brutal" she contin-
ned. "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 l like.
Listen!'
She opened wide her mouth for a
stage "Ha Ha | Ha I" but It never got
out. Msungo 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 at
his lips. saw that they had halted In
their advance on hers and decided to
struggle free from his embrace. "Why
shouldn't IT. she asked argumenta-
lively. "What IL there about this
nuggy old river that has you-has you
Dluffedr
"A lot Of things" began M'sungo,
his eyes shifting.
Andrea watched him shrewdly.
Tell me, White Man." she concluded
what il the one reason7"
She saw doubt and then a sudden |
iecision come into his face. "AlI
light" he said. "Tll tell you tonight"
They reached the home craal ut the
,etting OF the sun. In rapid succession |
.ame tea, hot bath, fresh clothes
md dinner. With the first puff at her
cigarette Andrea settled back In her
hair and said, "N0w."
The man did not pretend to be ut
oss for her meaning. He nodded. lit
is cigar and sat down. "All right {"
e said. I'll trust you. Here's the
at out Of the bag. I'm not the
My te man In this bit Of coun
ry. There's another who came In
cross the wilderness and has his camp
bout forty miles up the river. His
BUSINESS and mine have one thing and
me thing only. thank God, In common.
hey are both clandestine. As 1t hap
ens, don't think he knows or cares
What I'm up to, but know all about
i'm, because on those rare occasions
phen he comes down the river he Is
Invariably roaring drunk. His tongue
ever stops"
Does he-ever7" asked Andrea.
"You mean does he stop here2"
She nodded.
"Yes, he does," said M'sungo. II
,ish he didn't. but he always does"
"And what had you intended to do
nth me on his first visit?" she asked.
SWELL" said M'sungo, his brows
uckering. ave had in mind to tell
on all nbout It just as I'm doing. and
rust you. But II 1t hadn't come to
nat I was going to gag you and lock
on up."
"Oh. were your" said Andrea, her
yes narrowing. let me tell y9u at
nee that do not consider myself un-
err parole. / don't mean by that that
m going to sit on the river bank wait
IL for this man to come along. but
hen he comes would be a fool to
iss the chance Of telling him just
hat my situation Is. He might not
e able to get me out, but at least
ould no longer be totally In your
over. II my disappearance should
, completed there would be q cred
lie witness to the incredible fact that
had really been here"
A dark flush spread over Msungo's
ICE. AT the risk Of further arousing
our curiosity" he said. let me A.
ire ron that you arc . thousand
- - sS0Su,mn than IN