The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-01-10

NWrrcd. "EUt if You knew all the facts
you wouldn't find il 50 wonderful. IN
the first place This spot is cut of on
nearly all sides 10y Watcrlc>S wilder
ness. I'm the only direction that isn't
true, which i straight down the river.
there is Il wild zone that in four hun
dred years has never been pucitird by
the European dominance of the prov
ince. Those un~ubducd tribes have
been my friends IN times past aud are
myi lies today. No white man hut my
self. 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.
| have Il blind i'm the way of Il SiSal
plantation. That gives the excuse for
a steamer with machinery. say. to
come i'm without arouSing suspicion"
$50 you are a profiteer on the way
to making 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 ut
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 it
Swarmed with blacks mt work: some
Telling trees. some stripping them of
bark. others gathering it, 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 up the wide Swath of
the clearing slowly, with many stops
on the part of Msungo to encourage,
direct or criticize. They passed be-
yOnd the ringing of the axes into a
region 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. ID you see what
they're doing? Our axes ran out, so
here we're Telling in the old native
way with n ring of fire ut the foot of
each doomed tree"
BY eight O'clock the sun was at it's
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 Il quivering
hand on his arm. He turned quickly,
looked at her face gone white i'm spite
of the heat and cursed himself aloud
He led her through the fringe of the
forest to the deep shade ut its open
edge. made her lie down and showed
her that helmet. right side up on the
ground, makes an excellent pillow.
"Pm off. Promise you won't be
lonely. for it 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. There may come days of
picnics, yOungster, but they're long
way off"
please come back" she insisted.
He met her eyes with a hardened
gaze. There's not woman living"
he said slowly, that will let a 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. "Can't you let me work p
Beast" said Andrea and rOlled over
on her side, one moist hand for a pill
low in place of the hard helmet. She
did not watch him go, she did not see
Bathtub and another boy arrive with
table, chair and lunch basket. all in
single small load, for before it hap
pened she was far away in the land
of Nod. When she awOke she was
sorry for awake the hot hours passed