Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-08-04

little trading aud hunting he said,
"and got way of the beaten truck. My
head man, who was the only member
OF the safari who had ever before been
In the country. took sick and died. We
could find no natives TO guide us, and
so i simply swung back straight north.
We have been living on the fruits of
our guns for over a month.
didn't have an idea there was
white man within thousand miles of
us when we camped last night by
water hole at the edge Of HE plain.
This morning started out to hunt and
saw the smoke from your chimney, so
j sent my gun bearer back TO camp
with the good news and rode straight
over here myself OF course I've heard
of you-everybody who comes into CEN
trail Africa does-and I'd be mighty
glad of permission TO rest up and hunt
around here for couple OF weeks"
Certainly" replied Bwana. Make
yourself at home"
They had reached the veranda now,
and Bw0na was introducing the stran-
ger to Meriem and My Dear who had
Just come from the bungalows interi-
or.
"ThIs Is Mr.. Hanson" he said, using
the name the man had given him. "He
is trader who has lost his way In the
jungle TO the south"
My Dear and Meriem bowed their
Acknowledgements Of the introduction.
! Tho canrpnI nathan il1 at In
their presence His host attributed this
to the fact that his guest was unaccus-
toned To the society of cultured wO-
men, and so found preteXt TO extri-
cate him quickly from his seemingly
unpleasant position and lead him away
to his study and the brandy and soda.
which were evidently much less EN-
barrassing to Mr.. Hanson.
When the two had left them Meriem
turned toward My Dear.
ut is odd" she said, "but I could
almost swear that l had known Mr..
Hanson In the past. 1t Is odd, but
quite impossible" and she gave the
matter no further thought,
For three weeks Hanson had re-
manned. During this time he said that
his boys were resting and gaining
strength after their terrible ordeals In
the untracked jungles TO the south, but
he had not been as idle as he appeared
TO have been. He divided his small
! following into two parts, intrusting
the leadership OF each TO men whom
he believed he could trust.
One party he moved very slowly
northward along the trail that connects
with the great caravan routes entering
the Sahara from the south. The other
he ordered straight westward with or
ders TO halt and go into permanent
camp just beyond the great river which
marks the natural boundary OF the
country that the big Bwana rightfnlly
considers almost his 0wn.
To his host he explained that he was
moving his safari slowly toward the
north-he said nothing of the party
moving westward. Then one day he
announced that half his boys had de-
serted, for q hunting party from the
bungalow had come across his north
erly camp, and he feared that they
might have noticed the reduced num-
bers of his following.
And thus matters stood when one
hot night Meriem. unable to sleep. rose
and wandered out into the garden. The
Hon. Morrison had been urging his suit
once more that evening, and the girls
mind was in such q turmoil that she
had been unable to sleep.
The wide heavens above her seemed
to promise q greater freedom from
doubt and questioning. Baynes had
urged her TO tell him that she loved
him. A dozen times she thought that
she might honestly give him the an
swer that he demanded.
Korak was fast becoming but a men,
DRY. That he was dead she had come
TO believe since otherwise he would
have sought her out. She did not
know that he had even better reason
to believe her dead and that 1t was be-
cause Of that belief he had made no
effort TO find her after his raid upon
the village of Kovudoo.
Behind a great Towering shrub Ham
son lay gazing at the stars and wait
ing. He had lain thus and there many
nights before. For what was he walt
ing or for whom? He heard the girl
approaching and half raised himself TO
his elbow. A dozen PAGES away, the
reins looped over q fence post, stood
his pony.
Meriem. walking slowly. approached
the bush behind which the waiter lay.
Hanson drew large bandanna hand
kerchlef from his pocket and rose
stealthlly - his knees. A pony nelghed
down at the corrals. Far out across
the plain lion roared. Hanson
changed his position until he squatted
upon both feet.
Again the pony neighed, this time
I'closer. There was the sound of his
body brushing against shrubbery. Han
son heard and wondered how the ami
NAL had got from the corral for 1t was
evident that he was already In the gar
den. The man turned his head in the
direction of the beast.
What no saw eent him m tho ground