The Mena weekly star., 1920-02-26

Asvo1ce, "this isn't my funeral. Come md cry on the elephant"
 % 4AIl right" said Andrea. docilely .'KTow many were there? I heard 6 troupe -an army of them."
 x .You heard just one" said Msungo
 Dahbing at her eyes with soled fists ssle f0Ilowed him to the side of the 6faIleu monarch around which were EaiI1e<ed the natives. sort of glazed {aue cn their faces, for the dead bull twas | mighty tusher, carrying ivory to Jfhe x6lue of eighty women. At M'sun Sxo's approach their arms went up in a |4SInxle gesture and from one throat They yelled, "Bai-ye-tei"
 Seaxcely had the cry of homage died laxay when a sound came to them thfoukh the bush that froze them into listening silence. Their faces expressed unbeIlef but their knowledge was in. sfslcnf It told them that they were heorIng a death struggle. the whisper ing xush of blood from mighty lungs nightly pierced. With yell they 5l 5llsfoke toward that music and suddenly |. .ktoppcd, remembering that 1t is al Waye wise with elephant to let the gun
 Anfrea frightened. stopped snivel- ing. "What is it?" she asked.
 got two" said Msungo apolo- geficaIly That's the one that kept me uaiting between heaven and hell. i. ssI Remember. It was awful But why did you walt? What did he have Ao do with it, poor dear?"
 Hsstlngo smiled in spite of himself He had great deal to do with it." he anxWered. Until he started tearing fhe tree to pieces and took half turn 10 dodge the damage. he was headed -riRl1t down our trail, wasn't hep
 Andrea nodded.
 We'll" continued M'sungo, kicking Y the mountain Of flesh at-his side, "just ae long as he wns facing us. couldn't |foke the fair mark of this old boy That's one of the bits of knowledge that has been paid for with the lives pf many men. A startled elephant tt0<*@<4 tttdi HC nC DOttS NI1NnCft tt v'ay he's headed"
 ! He looked up and added with par don8b1e pride: And that, too, is how I knew where to get him running-the other way. I made up my mind where to shoot before he was there"
 They went to survey the second Deasf He was quite dead one long tusk gleaming white. an ivory island in q lake of bright blood Come aWay,r said M'sungo quickly He led her to the shade of one of the big trees where Marguerite. newly arrived, was already drowsing and dreaming happily of all the evil in the world. Around the nearby elephant, the na- lives swarmed like maggots.
 '.Bathtubl' Y shouted Msungo. "Cho- cula r
 Bathtub turned Iingeringly from the cnrcaSs. rushed over, dropped the lunch box at Msungo's feet and plunged back again. "We'll have to forgive him. said M'sungo, sitting down and proceeding to open the tin fund lay out Andrea's lunch for her. The elephant--especially dead one
 holds place in the native cosmos that no white man has ever quite sue ceedeu in graspIng. All those boys are auite mad I've seen one sever his thumb from his body when he was like that and never notice it till he r3eled from loss of blood"
 Au1xea shivered but M'sungo die n5t uotice it. They believe" he con. tinutd ''that the meat of elephant is a compound of the flesh of all animals s:: and that by eating it they acquire all tl1e leading attributes-the courage Of the lion. the slyness of the jackal. the x0fEing capacity of the snake, the eye sIEhf of the hawk by day and of ihe feIines by night, the industry of the ant and the homing instinct of the bee fau see the line? It's endless: and jusi because they have more than a eI0aftering of the qualities they seek tho Superstition will never die"
 He stopped to give Andrea n drink of Water and to feed her d first sand WIG0< And that isn't the only thing fA6f never dies" he went on, his eyes n1Exowing to a peculiar look she had ufxer seen in them before, such look ae one is apt to connect only with 14yS<irs, fanatics. ardent believers. and fG6foughly out of keeping with the coI[fEption of the White Man she ha,. bGjIded for herself.
 Why, White Man r she cried.
 UE1t do you mean? Whats come o3ef your"
 de looked away and then back at heE Well" he said. quizzical gleam eHeening into his eyes. "who's afraidi Whl Shouldn't tell once more a thing fA4<'a been written a hundred times M kxeater adopts than l and never be- l<<@edf It's this. Andrea Pellor. Don't se< x0urseIf too nigh above the native and his worship of the greatest of n<1NtS for he knows what yor can't e<z1 believe and that is that elephants a<4 Killed, they never uie. in all the ke1uries that blacks, Arabs and WzIzes have padded the myriad trails q Africa. no man has ever seen or He4z1 of an elephant dying from old 11e Or any other natural cause"
 5e eyes hardened on her face. You 4@E* he whispered You can't be- 1|&H& 1t. Elephants never die"