The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-02-27
CHAPTER VII.-contInued.


and sobbed. He put his arm around
her and patted her awkwardly on the
back. "Therel Therep he said.
"Don't. Please don't" Seemingly with
out his volition his arms drew closer
and closer until he suddenly awoke to
the fact that he was just plainly hug
ging Andrea Pellor. y
He pushed her roughly from him.
"Here," he said In quite a different
voice, "thls isn't my funeral. Come
and cry on TIE elephant"
"All right" said Andrea, docilely.
"How many were there? I heard a
troupe-an army Of them"
"You heard just one" said M'sungo,
Dabbing at her eyes with soiled fists,
she followed him to the side of the
fallen monarch around which were
gathered the natives, a sort Of glazed
awe on their faces. fer the dead bull
was mighty tusker. carrying ivory to
the value of eighty women. At Msun-
go's approach their arms went up in a
single gesture and from one throat
they yelled, "Bai-ye-tel"
Scarcely had the cry Of homage died
away when sound came to them
through the bush that froze them into
listening silence. Their faces expressed
unbelief but their knowledge was In
slstent. 1t told them that they were
hearing death struggle, the whisper
Ing gush of blood from mighty lungs,
nightly pierced. With a yell they
broke toward that music and suddenly
stopped, remembering that 1t is al
ways wise with elephant to let the gun
go first.
Andrea, frightened, stopped SWIVEL
Ing. "What is it?" she asked.
II got two" said M'sungo apollo.
getically. "That's the one that kept
me waiting between heaven and hell. y
81 remember. 1t was awful. But
why did you waltz What did he have
to do with 1t, poor dear2"
Msungo smiled in spite of himself
HE had great deal to do with It," he
answered. "Until he started tearing
the tree to pieces and took half turn
to dodge the damage, he was headed
right down our trail, wasn't her"
Andrea nodded.
SWELL" continued M'sungo, kicking
the nountain Of flesh at his side, "just
as long as he was facing US. l couldn't
take the fair mark of this old boy
That's one Of the bits of knowledge
that has been paid for with the lives
of many men. A startled elephant
doesn't charge; he bolts whichever
way he's headed"
He looked up and added with par.
donable pride: "And that. too, is how
knew where to get him running-the
other way. made up my mind where
to shoot before he was there"
They went to survey the second
beast. He was quite dead; one long
tusk cleaning white, an ivory island
In a lake of bright blood. "Come
away" said Msungo quickly. He led
her to the shade of one of the big
trees where Marguerite, newly arrived
was already browsing and dreaming
happily of all the evil In the world.
Around the nearby elephant, the ma.
tives swarmed like maggots.
.Bathtubr shouted M'sungo. "Cho-
culaf"
Bathtub turned llngeringiy from the
carcass, rushed over, dropped the
lunch box at Msungo's feet and
plrnged back again. "WeIl have to
forgive him." said Msungo. sitting
down and proceeding to open the tin
and lay out Andrea's lunch for her.
The elephant-especlally a dead one
holds q place In the native cosmos
that no white man has ever quite sue
.eeded In grasping. All those boys
are quite mad. I've seen one sever
ais thumb from his body when he was
IKE that end never notice II till he
reeled from loss Of blood"
Andrea shivered but M'sungo did
act notice II. "They believe" he con-
dnued. that the meat Of elephant Is Q
compound Of the flesh Of all animals
and that by eating II they acquire all
ne leading attributes-the courage Of
he lion. the slyness Of the jackal. the
Forging capacity Of the snake. the eye
light Of the hawk By day and Of the
.elines by night. the Industry Of the
mt and the homing instinct OF the bee.
Tou see the llnei It's endless: and
lust because they have more than \
mattering Of the qualities they seek.
he superstition win never die"
he stopped to give Andrea q drink
Il water and TO feed her first sand
Ffch. "And that isn't the only thing
est never asss be went on. bis eyes