The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-03-25
CHAPTER xI.

MacCloster's craaf was a master
piece of ingenuity. In its center rose
the ~stupendous Gaia that had aston
ished Andrea even from q mile away.
Around the monster hut was an i'm
passable bona or barrier Of thorns
pierced by a single entrance; outside
the bona, in the form of a ring, came
an beaten court which en-
braced a large shade tree. indispensa-
BILE as a nucleus for pow-wows and
mems gossip. Around the beaten circle
were three thickly serrated rows of
huts and their dependent outhOuses.
Enclosing the entire human beehive
was a stackade of giant cactus with an
arched entrance at each point of the
compass.
Aside from the repulsive furGamen-
tai idea OF the enterprise, MacCl0ster's
establishment was ~astonishingly
moral. 1t was true that he had con-
tracted for over a hundred and eighty
| wives in strict accordance with native
law but &c was equally true that he
allotted this army of consorts. without
exception, TO veritable husbands of
his own choosing. The only point Of
divergence from native custom was
that he demanded no payment of eSolo
from these drones and as a cense-
quence retained the right of disposal
Of their female offspring.
This innovation would have struck
at the root Of the Africans conception
of vested interests had ii not been for
the giant singers canny a~stuteness in
facilitating to the drones the purchase
Of one wife each in their own right,
thus killing two birds with one stone ;
for the native male normally works
but once In his life and that to- earn
the sum with which to acquire the
mate who, win not only t~henceforth
support him but eventually bring him
a return Of two or three fold ON his
investment.
As a Consequence, Manchester never
lacked boatboys, machilia carriers,
ivory hunters or pOrters and controlled
as well an army of women and girls
whose spare time was applied first to
the preparation of food and wood and
water Patching and then to the cuiti-
walton of the enormous. sbambas
which predseea eorn and Iaiiiet in
great abundance for the LUCKY mem
bers OF the close corporation.
That there was a subtle peisoA at
work somewhere in this social CO.'S
| mograpnv was evidenced by the fact
that while there was always a long
waiting list Of recruits for the sstab-
lishmeRt there was also q tendency ON
the, part of many natives to face star
| Walton rather than accept the ques-
| tionab,e intrusion of the white man iE
| the intimate structure OF their family
| nfe. 1t was further evidenced by an
| abnormal apathy whichr seemed to
fposssss MacCloster's people in direct
proportion TO their ~inGreasirg wesl-fed
and lazy sickness.
This. however, was a phenomenon
that did not trouble him so long as
there was a constant demand In ex-
cess Of the supply Of m~arriageable
girls; on the contrary. while IL puzzled
him. he welcomed Ii as making toward
the easy enforcement of a strict dis
cipline. In all matters TINT affected
the internal Life of the strange camp
he was sole arbiter beyond any cavil
ling, and a martinez.
Andrea could have taken a rea'
sonably calm interest in all the details
that crowded TO her attention during
her rapid progress into the heart Of
Mace loster's stronghold had 1t no!
been for an incident that revivified al
her Tear and repugnance toward the
man and which occurred as they en-
tered the ring court. MacCloster. strid
ing aheud Of her. suddenly paused and
his horrible face apparently achieved
The Impossible by undergoing Z de
basing transformation.