Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-29

| currences, which, after much official
/ delay. eventually reached the govern
ment Then, after more parleymg and
waste of valuable time, one OF his
majestv's gunboats was dispatched
| from the Cape Station TO the scene.
/ 60 patrol that part Of the coast.
| The moral effect of the presence OF
unit Of his maieSty's navy was no DOUBT
| considerable but she could not be ex-
/ pected 10 remain there indefinitely. nor
could a ship do much TO elucidate the
! mystery.
/ Moreover. the headquarters of the
j Cane Mounted" were now moving In
| the matter, for Munro had been gal
| liant and most efficient officer. and the
authorities we're not at all disposed to
| take his disappearance quietly, I was
/ selected for the job of going to the
| district and endeavoring to discover
! what had taken place, Hence my
presence on the sandhills that broiling
afternoon.
had not gone down as q policeman.
| Ostensibly, I was a land surveyor. and
I carried all the paraphernalia of that
calling. In the course of my supposed
work I made friends with the native
fishermen. listened to their troubles,
and lent grave ear to their fantastic
stories of lurking monsters that de-
vcured all those who were foolhardy
enough to put TO sea.
The vain imaginings of the fishing
folk. of course. cut no ice" with the au-
thoritieS who had shrewd suspicion
that a village of half-breed Portuguese
nondescripts. some 40 miles along the
coast to the southwark and about
whom little was known. might have
had something to do with the dis
appearances.
There was however. no evidence
available to this effect, and the natives
fishing grounds were 20 miles to the
north--oyer so miles from the Port
uguese village.
In the process of keeping my eyes
and ears open / had several times
noticed coal-black native Of immense
build and brutal features. obviously
hailing from the Southern STATES of
America. in company with the duSky
belle of the settlement. She was girl
called Lita, a good looking and intelli-
gent half-caste Every one knew her,
but when I inquired where the big
negro lived could get no definite in
formation
Some instinct made me casually queS-
ton Lita, herself about him, and al
though she either couldn't or wouldn't
tell me anything worth while. I noticed
that she was wearing an unusual orn3-
ment that could have been manufac-
tured only in Southern Europe. made
some remark about 1t, whereupon she
told me that Salvador-that was the
black giants name-had given it TO
her.
In my mind / at once connected the
gaudy trinket with the obviously gro
teSque name-for a negro-of Salvador,
and promptly associated both with
the colony of half-breed Portuguese
away to the south Nobody knew any,
posed to be under suspicion, so !
decided to have look at it.
HAVING failed to obtain any clues
of the slightest value In the settle
nient, collected my surveying gear,
packed supply of food and water on
spare pony. and rode over the drift
Qord) up-river on a journey that was
destined to have important results.
Next day. arriving suddenly and
Unexpectedly at the top Of hill.
found myself looking down into a
beautiful land-locked bay A few fish
ing boats and smaller craft we're dotted
about the still waters. while close to
the beach clustered a number of we'll
built huts and houses with women and
children IN European clothing going
about their vocations.
Riding down the tract that led TO
the village, entered IL amid the Scowls
Of the inhabitants, whose nationality
or lack of twas obvious from their
dark olive compilations and close, curly