The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-03-06

eye. lie waved a hand.
Old lib shouted; but it was not for
this that Col Sale, with the first step
desperately taken, stood rooted where
he was He had seen Jack Alleyn's
fave above the opposite brink, few
PAGES down stream.
Jack advanced quite slowly, until
his pert little figure showed complete.
He was looking intent at first, as If he
had not recognized his friend; but his
red face relaxed In the funny little
smile down his nose that Sale knew.
lie danced "a little dance above the
torrent cana eut q the dipping rock
and dropped over.
Col. Sale let him speak the first
word. 1t was dumb-show, like every
thing else he had done In the catar-
acts roar; and, for the first time In
life the man who would have relin.
quished life so boldly was at loss
from fear. Jacks living and warm
grasp gave him a great shock. more
over.
Instantly he drew Jack away, but
with a hand which became SO wise
like, and with such evident nervous
ness, that his friend was shocked at
the change in him. Privately, Jack
swore at the war for 1t, yet thought It
strange In such gallant man. He
was pulled up to the fringe Of wood
ed bank before the colonel spoke.
my dear old chapl What brings
you here? How the deuce did you
find me?"
The little cotton merchant continued
to act facetiously. "Ah," said he,
pushing chest out, blow me If can
tell you that! Genius. think. The
British army lost very good nam
when stopped growing, Art. .........
Had you seen me Were you going to
jump up that silly rock 7"
"Jove, how you started NETS the
miserable man ran on. "Do you know,
I had you In mind at that moment. as
II should see you directly. -.
How long are you here? Where are
you staying, old Jack? Wasn't
that strange, thought"
Jack thought his friends behaviour
stranger. He was not unaware Of the
card-play, rumor OF which had reached
as far as Liverpool. DeVonshirs
Arms" he said, laconically. SCOT
any fish,"
1t was over the after-dinner smoke
that both men came to an awkward
silence. For Jack, at any rate, this
was not endurable: he waited for some
more intimate talk, hoping good from
it, and then set about with deliberas
ton to put his friend at ease.
He said very quietly, 81 know what
you're thinking of, Art"
The colonel controlled himself with
difficulty. He had little doubt left
just at that moment that Jack had
seen through his bad acting, but be
looked up, saw him a6miring the ash
of his cigar. and still kept silence.
dreading the word that would shattes
self-respect.
You're as superstitious GO evers
wondering what thu deuce that coin
cidence' portends of my turning up so
adroitly o, know you Of old!" He
laughed gently. "My dear fellow, I'm
sorry to disabuse you, but It's simply
no coincidence atsan. I've been hunt
ing you about town for week, oil
and on; got. your address from your
wife, and here am, on most prosaic
business mission! But confess. You've
r5H 1l1 a
you?"
The comfort of this was worth
settlement of all debts. But as an
explanation it did nothing to shake
the saved mans faith in the supernat.
ural
"wen. yes" he replied to the chal-
ienge.
Gust so. You're the old dream
er, and it isn't good for the nerves.
Art. Are you game" proceed
ed Jack, In his very quietest tones,
"to do big journey nowadays? One
of your old adventures?"
Col Sale gazed at his friend with
strange eyes.
TITS this. You know the state Of
the Egyptian fiber market ? Or, OF
course, you don't; that wouldn't inter
est you. Egyptian fiber is at a fam
Inc price; perfectly frightful. In Liv-
erpool, we've formed the Imperial cot,
ton-growing extension association,
pooling little capital to look for new
fields and promote enterprise. What
we want now, as soon as ever we can
lay our hands on him, is the right
sort of man to go down the railway
route, from Cairo to the Cape-taking
his own time about II, of course
and spy out possibilities. Well, told
the other directors about you and the
Mahdi. I'm to ask you If you'll under
take the trip, old chap. IT'S dangerous
know; but what they offer to do.
apart from cost Of equipment and all
that, is to put down 1000 year for,
say, three years. and am empowered
10 pay it into your bank IL you con-
sent"
The man for whom this miracle was
worked leaned forward 30 put his face
IN his hands. Jack saw his chest