Evening star., 1935-12-29
BY LAURENCE sTALLINGs.

Adds ABABA Cby maiD There
were stacks of munitions in Ras Mou-
lou Guetah's corner. Firstly, an old
mauser with a new chromiumed bolt
stood naked Of covers, and by 1t new
bayonet. Slung from his waist he had
brought two cheap cotton bandoliers
Of cartridges for it. Probably it would
be the weapon for his lowliest gun
bearer to trail behind him when the
troops left the cars at Diredawa and
began their long traverse through the
hateful Issa country.
There was a second rife, hidden IN
canvas, bound with leather and bright
brocades, the decorative strips being a
passamenterie woven with golo
strands. AS the Kenjasmaj dofied his
burnoose, it was seen that his principal
decoration was the bandolier for this
preciously cased fusil.
The bandolier bore the same brocade
Of the case, worked among soft tanned
leather. 1t was an immensely heavy
accoutrement for a man to bear, and
to be worn around the abdomen en-
tailed immense physical strength. 1t
was heavy with bright cartridges, often
polished.
Automatic Rife Carried.
The third firing piece was unmis-
takably an automatic rife, swathed IN
workmanlike manner in the heavy
canvas of its European maker. This
had been borne in by two men and
placed alongside. 1t rocked gently with
the motion of the train, and one very
carefully-fearing it might be loaded
its cooking arm back-placed IT IN tne
rack above ones head. 1t would welgh
a good 20 pounds, and, from the feel
of the cooling fms along the oarrei'
would be the new Czechoslovak weapon
which has inundated Ethiopia.
The Kenjasrnaj bowed a faint cour-
tesy for this, while fumbling unoer
the folds of his khaki burnoose, whlcn
had lain beneath the heavy whlpcoro
one. to unbuckle a most enormous
curved sword, sheathed In red leather.
The sword had for its hilt the hoot
of a bullock, the bone polished highly
at the pastern, the thing shod in q
great silver boss. This he placed with
care in a corner, 5ettling himself for
his Journey wearing Only a 81 re-
yolyer in a faWn leather holster. whlcn
with a dozen cartridge poucnes' ne
wore in the hussar manner OF
shoulder bandoIer One estimated
that. standing land with a gunbearer
for machine gun and Mauser) ne
would be carrying around a hundred
pounds of steel 10 the wars. Pres
emily he grew sleepy and removed MS
sandals. curling himself along the seat
for siesta.
Body Profoundly Muscled.
It was easy then to study ones
travelling companion. He was chunky
with strength and his loose jodhpurS
revealed powerful legs SCARED into
network of thorn patterns. his great
oiled feet having pads, gray from
thickening use and crossed with
situations. like a setter dogs paws at
the end of a dry hunting season. His
waist had not a layer Of fat; 1t was
profoundly muscled from a lifelong
habit of wearing so pounds OF metal.
His head. as it lay upon the arm
of the chair, was a fine one. The
hair had grown thin somewhat in the
manner Of Stanley Baldwin's, with
much the same way of growth.
Some one, long before, had very
nearly severed his neck with a sword
from a right hand blow; but he slept
peacefully now, the wind from the
open window cooling his sandal-tor-
mented feet 1t was staggering to
muse that this man, having attained
a serenity which. in another country.
would have. prevented his joining
fighting force save in the most caVa-
lier of ways, was going to lead 5000
troops in a war against tanks, air.
planes, flame throwers, high explosive
and gas. He had neither baggage nor
paper work, nor rations nor personal
effects beynod the miscellany Of fire-
arms in his corner and the loaded
machine gun above our heads.
(copyrisht. 1885, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inc. and Fox
Movietone NeWs)