Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-24
hich DEGREES Assassinations Is Battling Mystery

or a love charm" he said, continuing
his story, would find money to hear
the marvel of the Singing Tree"
so" remarked Dandy, when re we-@
back again in the fresh air. lin order
to become richer you planned our death
and are stirring up the people against
the government. Also. it is not vet
clear why you are telling us these
things"
" Nkosi." urged the man. replying to
the first part of the question ut Is
true that the tree has spoken such
words--and will again, until the land
is dead, but 1t is not through me that
they came"
Carnec's reply held no sign "a en-: y. -
raeEA
"If an ant-bear dig a hole for a
porcupine to dwell in" ne began.
"A porcupine, indeed, 'Nkosi. of whose
quilts the ant-hear Is weary, was the
significant reply.
All SO that's it,"
He is a teacher. 'Nlsosi, black man
of powerful tribe called the Ma-ti-yo-
pu1a-Who brings message Of war and
freedom to the people, saying that the
land shall return to them. and the
whites be swept away as dead as leaves
in a flood
BY his magic. which is undoubtedly
terrible, he discovered the secret Of the
Tree--and threatened to reveal it if
old not share my wealth with him.
Inen, as the people are scattered. he
said that the Tree must proclaim his
message.
So now the Tree speaks the words
OF unrest to great assemblies at the
dark or the moon. and-but the 'NkOsi
understands, / think. He lives at my
kraal-I dared not refuse him-but he
is TO be found wherever there is beer or
meat or girls. There are those to whom
his departure would be a blessing
When does the Tree speak the mes
sage again?" asked Carnac
when the moon turns her back on
the world-in six days time Nkosi.''
Carnac thought for a moment. You
will return home now with two OF nv
police" he said presently, and you win
tell your people that you are going on
journey. You will come back here BY
dawn tomorrow. and stay with me-tiIl
the Tree speaks"
That night, in our camp in the bush.
Dandy propounded the Great Idea II
was an astounding scheme-one that
could only have originated in the brain
of a-well. mining engineer
Il don't see what can go wrong" he
said. I've got plenty Of the stuff. and
l can easily fix up the apparatus"
Only one more incident occurred at
the camp near the Singing Tree Matsi-
bitsi. returning with his guard at the
time appointed. appeared before us with
a bulky kit of personal luggage carried
by two youths from his Kraal
''AIakoSf," he said, II have here the
magic coat of 'B'lulu Alhsi,' the 'Ti-yo-
puja,' which ccnfers wisdom beyond
that of men on the wearer."
Brother Alpheus Great Scott"
whispered Dandy.
Gingerly. reyerently almost the sa-
cred relic was brought to light, greasy,
threadbare. but the real article-a par
sons frock-coat and white "cfloker"i
& K X
CECURELY hidden in the thick
bush and high grass which grew
right I'D to the roots of the Singing
Tree, on the side hidden from the clear
ing, we waited.
could almost have persuaded myself
that, like the audience that had gather
ed with the silence of ghosts IN the
clearing We had come TO view some
weird manifestation of psychic phenon-
ena rather than to effect the capture OF
an impudent imp0Stsr.
MatSibitSi had told US that his en-
| envy was inside the cave.
Dandy lying in his covert. busted
himself with an apparatus that ne mad
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