The Mena weekly star., 1920-03-25
CHAPTER x.


 maryels of his boyhood. An old man had said to. him one dawn. "Hear the cora growing. sonnyY and he laughed wherenpoi the granddad had taken him by one ear and marched him to the nearest furrow. "Pick out stalk and watch It. you little egg-sucker," he commanded. "See it grow, if you can't heanR
 Andrea was like that; she was m. furiing as though in the morning of a new youth. Never had her eyes been brighter, never her checks so quick to play with fire. Incidentally. she was fuil of devil of mischievous remin. iscent innuendo.
 Its all a great joke now, young lady" Trevor would defend himself, but if you'd seen what 1 have of per nicious malaria. you'd keep grave for year. I've seen three SwahilIs that had nourished mosquitoes from their youth up, fall like dogs one after an ouer, within I miIe and half of an infected camp and the best of them VVatt HtVift bt4iiN tbt tttttlln.
 "Did you nurse them, White Man? Did you see them throuchg"
 These were the questions that drove him nearest to desperation, but the gieam in the eyes above the demure mouth from which they issued inva- 9iably warned him of the trap in time. He was on his guard he knew that there were things between him and Andrea that speech would turn into ghastly skeletons walking by day and which only consistent silence could entomb. But so deen had grown his syInpathles that even in this he under stood her. II was not that she was perverse but that her pride demanded a constant test of his loyalty to her other self-that internal self that had lain barred. revealed and helpless in his arms.
 About those things which might have aroused a legitimate curiosity, she asked few questions. Without word of inquiry she saw him despatch twelve picked men on some mysterious mis- sion whose intricacies ana importance necessitated preliminary palaver of an hours duration. Equally silent, she watched his detailed preparations of welI-appointed safari. Tents were brushed and set to air; cots and mat tresses put out for sun-bath; provi sions of all sorts packed in one-load eases: water boiled. filtered and hung in canvas coolers. Only a few days before, just such signs as these had made fer heart heavy with unanswer- able questionings, but her illness had changed all that. The successive mo- ments of the throbbing present each in Its urn filled her whole horizon.
 She knew instfnctively that he had somfthing big up his sleeve, and that he would shake if out on the slightest provocation. She also had long mem ory. and had no difficulty in recalling his extet boast as to what he would do when she was well. He was going to take her in free fight. She was well now. she reflected stte had never felt better in her life, md if.there was one thing she hungered for more than an other, 1t was the promised colnbat
 There is no telling how long An dreas innate stubbornness would have held out, nor at what point Trevor's exasperation would have driven him, for their 'wordless contest was intef- rupted by an event which he had both foreseen and feared. They were sitting at table after dinner on q cloualess night brilliant under a full moon, when sf far-away sound came to disturb their purpose ful silence. Trevor strengthened in his chair and leaned forward, his whole body tense in the effort of listcning. It came again, ghost of sound that gradually assumed substance and rhythmic form until after five long minutes 1t was recognizable as the eadenced rumble of an African river chantey.
 Instantly Trevor was on his feet. He issued orders to Bathtub, who iniifie- iiately began to clear the table and eliminate every item of furniture that would indicate dual occupancy of ths white portion of the camp. They hat dressed that night for dinner, not as q celebration or any special event. but because they were both bored with too much time on their hands. Trevor now excused himself to Andrea and withdrew to his room. In a few min utes he reappeared garhed in his toughest khaki shirt and trousers. His face was grave as he advanced on Andrea with nod toward her hut. Manchester will be here in half an hour" he stated. T ask you to go to your room. close and bar both doors and stay there until call you
 Without whiting for her comment. he turned and left her. She sat on. with narrowed eyes, until she had fin ished her cigarette. and then, with glance around to see if Trevor were watching, she arose and walked slowly across the open court of the craal. In her breast was a great rebellion at tue curt manner in which he had made his request. but she had to admit to herself that no other form of address, coming from him, could have impressed her so deeply, moved her so quickly.
 She went to her room, closed the front door, but did not bar it. chose q book and sat down 10 make a pretense of reading. The sound of the chantey rumbled near and then wavered afar