The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1920-01-24

7V ~@
She spran3 Up and Rushed to Cut
Him on.
cut him off. "You are murderer"
she gasped as she faced him.
The man stopped in his tracks and
stared at her. Gradually he took In
her meaning. you think I do 1t for
for funY" he exclaimed.
Murderer" she repeated tensely.
The man glanced at his hut and
turned his back on 1t with a sigh.
"Come with me-" he said.
II shall never go anywhere with
YOU" replied Andrea.
The man faced her quickly. "YOu
will come with me or be carried. Take
your choice"
Their eyes met and held In one Of
those struggles that measure not 90
much the contending characters as the
strength Of the opposing purposes.
The mans purpose won out. Andrea
dropped her eyes and followed him.
He passed swiftly through the krasl
and along a well-known path that led
to the fringe of the forest. Under an
enormous mafuta tree the butchers
were at work. four to each carcass.
sklnning, cutting, hacking with prac-
ticed hands. The meat was being piled
In heaps, and at each heap was sta
toned black captain. Under his
direction host of helpers were cutting
the flesh into minute portions.
Beyond the limits of the trees far
flung branches squatted a black army
men with asscgais in their hands;
women and children with queer conical
baskets in their laps. Physically these
people were, without exception, joy
to the eye, but beyond them, grouped
together under another tree and hope
lessly staring, was a small band that
brought sudden tears to Andrea's eyes.
Never before had she seen human
bones and skin without flesh. live eyes
staring from the skeleton emblem of
death.
Al last the division of the sangul-
nary spoil was completed. The we'll
accompanied by woman or child as
beast for the small burden. These men
We're also provided with individual
brass checks, which they cast into
he baskets at the feet of the captain
lpon receipt OF iaeir portion of meat.
At the end. to Andrca's amazement.
he tally was exact except that it left
he starving group out Of the count.
Through 1t all the white man had
stood grimly by, uttering not word
and leaving her TO the assistance of
her own intelligence. She bean to
understand the possessors of the brass
checks had worked for them. But her
eyes fingered ptifully on the starving.
She turned to the man with ges-
ture of MISUNDERSTANDING for pardon
for herself, mercy for the silent suffer-
ing. "What about these?" she asked.
"They will receive ration of mil
let" he answered Tomorrow the
men will crawl to the forests, twice Il
week they will get meat checks. In n
month they and their families will be
fat and sleek. We refuse no one who
wishes to work"
He turned to lead the way back to
the kraal and, once there, promptly
disappeared into his hut. Half an hour
later Andrea was nervously moving
about her room, wondering whether ia
put on her frock or not, when Bathtuh
arrived with II message, Did she wish
to dine alone or with M'sung0?
Tell your master" she answered,
that will dine with him with pleas
ure."
During the meal the white man
talked, giving her listlessly certain ex-
planatory Information. Eight months
ago" he said, ~ struck this country.
1t was desolation. In spite Of the big
river. which Is quite near by the whole
district was In famine. passed
through ruined kraal after ruined
kraal, and In some OF them dead bodies
lay about. too dried out In life even
to rot. The game swarmed as IL does
only In dry seasons, and thrived."
Andrea held both hands out toward
him as though TO stop him. Don't"
she cried. don't think | haven't UNI
derstood"
upon my word" remarked the man
dryly, "you're getting sincere"
She sank back In her chair with a
'0ok of reprOach, but he did not notice
[. "I'm telling YOU" he continued, 81
came to hunt and recover" He
paused.
Andrea could not keep her eyes from
glancing toward the airplane. It was
ms though she had followed his hidden