The Washington times., 1920-01-04
CHAPTER VII (CentiaSsd. }
TAs O~sh.

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arrived. calling out anxiousiy
TO know what was the matter.
My heart sank at the sight OF him,
for how was ! to tell such Q story
to the father of the murdered chill
dren and tho abducted girlf In the
end turned coward and bolted into
the wagon. bidding Hans 90 for.
ward and repeat his tale. Looking
out between the curtains of the
wagon / saw all that happened,
though ! could not hear the words
that passed.
Robertson. jumping Prom the
wagon-box, strode forward and met
Hans. who began to speak with
him. twitching his hat In his hands.
Gradually, as the tale progressed, I
saw the Captains face freeze into
a mask Of horror. Then he began
to argue and deny. then to weep,
oh! It was a terrible sight to see
that great man weeping In such .
fashion.
After this kind of blind rage
seized him and ! thought he was
going to kill Hans. who was of the
same opinion, for he ran away.
Next he staggered about, waving
his hands, cursing and shouting, till
presently he fell Of a heap and fay
face downward, beating his head
against the ground and groaning,
Now ! went to him because !
must. He saw me coming and sat
up.
"That's q pretty story, 'Quater-
main, which this little yellow mon
key has been gibbering at me. Man.
do you understand what he sayss
He says that all those half-Dlood
children of mine are dead, mur-
dered by savages from over the
Zambesi, yes, and eaten. too, with
their mothers. Do you take the
point? Eaten like lambs. Those
fires your man saw last night were
the fires on which they were
cooked, my little so-and-so and so
and-so," and he mentioned half .
dozen different names.
Yes, cooked, Quatermain. And
tha isn't all Of it, they have taken
Inez, too. They didn't eat her, but
they have dragged her off captive
for God knows what reason. !
couldn't understand. The whole
ships crew is gone except the CAP
tain absent on leave and the first
officer, Thomaso, who deserted with
some lascar stokers, and left the
women and children to their fate.
My God, I'm going mad! II you
have any mercy in You give me
something to drink.
c"All right" l said.
] went to the wagon and poured
q stiff tot of spirits into which l
put an amazing dose Of bromide
and thirty drops of chlorodyne. All
this l mixed up with little water
and took 1t to him In tin cup so
that he could not see the color. He
drank it at a gulp and throwing
the pannikin aside, sat down on the
weld, groaning while the company
watched him at a respectful dis
tance.
In a few minutes the drugs began
to take effect upon his tortured
nerves, for he rose and said quietly:
What now?"
vengeance, or. rather. justice"
/ answered.
EYES," he exclaimed, vengeance.
/ swear that I will be avenged, or
iie--or both"
Again / saw my opportunity and
said, ''you must swear more than
that, Robertson. Only sober men
CdH dCCuulpiIou 6iSat thheo, ava
drink destroys the judgment"
Very well," he muttered. II
swear by God, by my mother like
these natives, and by my daughter
born in honest marriage, that ! will
never touch another drop Of strong
drink, until have avenged those
poor women and their little chill
dren, and rescued Inez from their
murderers. II do you may put a
bullet through me-"
That's all right" I said In an
offhand fashion, though inwardly |
glowed with pride at the success OF
my great idea, for at the time l
thought It great. Nov let us get
TO business. The first thing to do
is to trek to Strathmuir and make
preparations; the next to start
upon the trail. Come and sit on
the wagon with me and tell me
what guns and ammunition you
have got"
He did as I asked, telling me all
he could remember. Then he said;
- q II