Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-07-05
p IX.-Continued.

He smiled. "It is so far" he an
swered. But if you knew all the
facts you wouldn't find it so wonder
full. In the first place this bit of
country is cut off from every other
by long stretches of waterless wilder
ness. In the only. direction that that
isn't true, which is traight down the
river, there is a wide zone that in
four hundred years has neve beer
pacified by the European dominance
Of the province. Those unsubdued
tribes have been my friends in times
past and r my alliestoday. No
white man but myself has ever
crossed their boundaries and lived;
consequently they can tell no tales
to my harm. Do you begin to see?'
Andrea nodded.
Then at the coast" he continued,
Just within the mouth Of the river.
I have a blind in the way of a sisal
plantation. That gives the excuse
for a steamer with machinery, say, to
come in without arousing suspicion.
1 chartered one just small enough
to cross the bar at high tide. just big
enough to go anywhere On the seven
seas. With the profits on her first
full cargo, l bought her outright and
smiled even at the war price they
asked for her. She has made two
Trips SllCe. N- ~.
80 you are a profiteer on the way
to making a war fortune" comment
ed Andrea.
| He flushed more deeply than she
had yet seer him. IF you stay here
long enough" he said stoutly, you
may understand"
He turned from her and plunged
at right angles into the forest. She
followed him into the chill air under
the great trees. From what she had
read in books she had thought thai
all forests in Africa were jungles
impossible to the axe-less wayfarel
and now,-she caught her breath a
the poignant memory of the silent
open reaches under the beeches a,
Pellor.
The temba trees had clean, sturd,
trunks that rose to a height of thirty
feet or more; from there they
branched out. their widely domed
tops interlacing in an endless sue
cession of cathedral arches. Under
them stretched low, open vistas drap.
till as talactites. Under foot was 9
deep carpet of the tiny temba leaves
dried brown and crisp as the shell.
Of ripe chestnuts. There was no
brush.
All too soon. following M'sungo',
lead. Andrea came out with him int
a wide clearing which, simultaneous
~ with their arrival, began to rims
to the blows of many axes. Through
al its height 1t swarmed with black,
at work; some Telling trees. som,
stripping them of bark, others gath.
ering it and still others stacking tn,
barred wood and cleaning up the gen,
eral litter according to the most ap
proved rules of modern forestry.
A thought came to Andrea. "Wh
! you start cutting way in here?'
she asked.
If ever" replied the man, .yo,
come back across the plains after /:
hard days hunt and see the sun OF
the new leaves of the temba trees
you'll know"
"Oh, will T." said Andrea happily
That's just why I asked, because !
guessed it wasn't in you to disfigur,
the noble face Of the forest your,
numbering"
mot numbering" said M'sune,
quickly. These blacks all climl
like monkeys. I could strip tn,
trees at half the expense il I didn'
know that a felled. forest with a seed
er left here and there will recoye,
never $3.50
.tEhat 9 wise mai You are. rait
Andrea quite seriously.
Tut thaf was an easy one,u II,