The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1920-01-27

ness. In the only direction that isn't
true, which Is straight down the river,
there Is a wild zone that In four hun.
dred years has never leen pacified by
the European dominance of the prov
ince. Those unsubducd tribes have
been my friends in times past and are
my allies today. No white man but my
self. has ever crossed their boundaries
and lived; consequently they can tell
no tales TO my harm. DO you begin to
see7"
Andrea nodded.
"Then ut the coast" he continued,
"just within the mouth OF the river,
/ have blind In the way OF sisal
plantation. That gives the excuse for
a steamer with machinery, say, to
come in without arousing suspicion"
/ $50 you are a profiteer on the way
TO making a war fortune" commented
Andrea.
He flushed more deeply than she had
yet seen him. "If you stay here long
! enough" he said stoutly, "you may
understand
He turned from her and plunged M
1 right angles into the forest. She fol-
lowed him into the chill air under the
/ great trees. All too soon Andrea came
out with him into wide clearing
which, simultaneously with their ar
rival, began to ring TO the blows of
many axes. Through all its length II
swarmed with blacks ut work some
Telling trees, some stripping them of
bark, others gathering 1t, and still
others stacking the barred wood and
cleaning up the general litter accord
ing to the most approved rules Of mod
ern forestry.
They walked M the wide swath Of
the clearing slowly, with many stops
on the part of M'sungo to encourage,
direct or criticize They passed be-
yond the ringing Of the axes into q
reglon pungent with the smell of burn
Ing greenwood. Along one side, the
side away from the fringe of the for.
est, was long line Of smoke spirals.
He waved at them. I'D you see what
they're doing? Our axes ran out, 80
here we're telling in the old native
way with ring of fire at the foot Of
each doomed tree"
BY eight o'clock the sun was at its
full strength and Andrea was thankful
indeed for her pith helmet by ten she
was thinking that noontime would
never come. M'sungo was too en-
crossed with his work to notice her.
She kept on, riding her nerve, until she
felt that in another moment she must
topple over; then she laid quivering
hand on his arm. He turned quickly,
looked at her face gone white in spite
of the heat and cursed himself aloud.
He led her through the fringe of the
forest to the deep shade at its open
edge made her lie down and showed
her that n helmet, right side up on the
ground, makes an excellent pillow.
SIN Off. Promise you won't be
lonely, for II will be hours before
get back"
Andrea's lower lip trembled. "Aren't
you coming for lunch?''
He looked down at her and shook
his head. "rhere may come days Of
picnics. youngster. but they're a long
way or"
"Please come back" she insisted
He met her eyes with hardened
gaze. There's not a woman living"
he said slowly, shat will let man
! work when she's around-if she can
help It,"
you're thinking Of people In love-"
said Andrea to start an argument and
gain time.
"Of course was" said the man on
the instant. Cant you let me work."
"Beast," said Andrea and rolled over
on her side, one moist hand for pill
low in place of the hard helmet. She
did not watch him so, she did not see
Bathtub and another boy arrive with
table, chair and lunch basket, all in
single small load, for before 1t hap
pened she was far away In the land
Of Nod. When she awoke she was
sorry, for awake the hot hours passed
on laggard feet. At midday she ate !;
then she tried to read, but by four in
the afternoon she was desperate for
something to do. She determined to
sleep again, and just as she was doing
Off a whisper came to her--one Of those
carefully measured whispers that
reach the intended ear and 60 no far
Their.
"Mlssisw
She turned. "what is it?" she
asked.
"Gashly! Missls." breathed Bathtub,
and the agony In his appeal to her
to so slow was so eloquent that she
caught the spirit, II not the meaning
of the word.
She raised her head ever so care
fully and looked out over the plain.
"Oh" she murmured.
A quarter Of mile away band of
sable were grazing. and in a moment
she could tell that they were feeding
directly toward her. ,"Oh! she
breathed again, "oh, you beauties"
Closer and closer grazed the herd,
StcDDinp daintilv from, tuft a., tuAt 30