Evening star., 1924-10-10

utter stranger to them. Their hearts
were very tender. A black eunuch
entered bearing the elaborate tea
utensils. AS he turned to go, Mac
Bride called ali" pointing to the
ground before him.
The slave threw up his hands in
protest. "Oh, no. lord, please"
''kneel down." the sailor COM
manded. TN make you spring your
ribs laughing, Said, my bonny. Give
me your hand. Mohar."
Lord. have mercy"
Mercy be damned! Your hand,
quick"
The piteous great creature extend
ed a trembling hand, was grasped by
the wrist and twisted onto his back.
Now, my pearls. my rose buds. "
said MacBride.
The five little birds of paradise
tucked their robes about them and
surrounded the PROSTATE slave, tit
terinE and wriggling their fore
fingers at him. Even before he was
touched he screamed, but when the
tickling began in earnest he went
mad, doubling, screwing. clawing the
air with his toes, shrieking like a
soul in torment-which indeed he
was.
With the pearls and rosebuds il
was evidently a favorite pastime :;
they tickled with diabolical cunning
that could only come OF experience
shaking with laughter and making
sihilant noises the while-'Pish-
piss-sh'" Finally. when the misera-
bic victim was rolling up the whites
of his eyes, mouthing foam and
seemed on the point of throwing a
fit. MacBride released him and he
escaped
The captain wiped the happy tears
from his remaining eye and turned
on Ortho as one recounting an in
teresting scientific observation
Very thin-skinned for Sambo
D'you know / believe he'd sooner
take four-bag at the gangway than
a minute o that l do, so help me :;
/ believe he'd sooner be fogged.
Eee-ry curious. Come up and I'll
show you my command"
The Atlantic was invisible from
the tower sheeted under fog. which
beneath MINDLESS sky. stretched
away to the horizon in woolly white
pillows. Ortho had an impression of
a mammoth herd of tightly packed
sheep.
There's a three-knot tide under
that, sweeping south, but it don't
pear to move it much" MacBride
observed. I'll warrant that bank
amt higher nor a first-rate's topsal-
liant yard. l passed through the
western squadron once in a murk like
that there. Off Dungeness, it was.
All their royals was sticking out,
put my little hooker was trucks
down, out O. sight" He pointed to
the north. 'Knitra's over there. bit
of kasba like this. Er-rhossi has
1t; a sturdy fellow for a Greek, but
my soul, what man to drink, STAYED
mere for week and pom nv con-
science, he had me baled dry in two
days-me. Back there's the forest.
there's pig what are you star
ing at?"
Ortho spun about guiltily. Me-
oh, hothIng, nothing. nothing. What
were you saying? The forest >"
He became suddenly engrossed in
view OF the forest of Marmora.
what's the matter? You look ex-
cited. like as if you'd seen some
thing" said MacBride suspiciously.
I've seen nothing" Ortho replied,
What should I see?'
'Blest if l know; only you looked
startled"
Il was thinking"
On, was you? Well, as was
saying, there's a mort O. pigs in
mere Wlid uns, and lions, too. by
report, but 1 amt seen none. I'll
get some sport as soon as my leg
Meals; This amt much Of a place.
tnoush. Can't get no money out of
charcoal burners, not if you was to
torture EN- for a year AS God is
my witness, I've done my best. but
the sooty Vermin amt got any" He
sighed. Il shall be devilish glad
when we can get back to our lawful
business again. I've heard married
men in England make moan about
their family Representatives,
what Of me? I've got three separate e
1amlhes already and two more on
the way! What d'you say to that