The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-27
CHAPTER XIV

CHAPTER XIV
 And suddenly she was gone back into the woods, as quick! as she had come.
 "What was she saying?" Joyce asked her interpreter.
 He shook his shoulders. Some ! sing about her papa. Me have not hear
 "WeIl have to walk" MT Gregory insisted again, his voice shrill and high-pitched. Its five minutes to Seven."
 But at that moment the chile was back. and following her Joyce saw Q tall, tremendous Negro, his heavy features shadoWed by the rays of lantern he held aloft.
 The man came toward Joyce, anc as she stood in front of her, clac only in a disreputable pair of cot ton trousers, his sinewy chest bare and gleaming black, he bowed, ano in the simple gesture there was al the grace of an old French courier
 T would assist mam'selle," ht said in precise French. His voic: was quiet, well modulated. He might have been college pro- lessor featuring to his class.
 MT. Gregory stared at him 1T amazement, at the strange incon- gruity of him; the tragic, over whelming poverty for which hf new no shame; the proud, quiet dignity which set him somewhat apart from them all.
 "Merci," Joyce replied, hesitat- ingly. as she struggled with g long-forgotten vocabulary. The automobile is broken ." Why she wondered desperately, do stu dents of language spend long months learning nonsense about the cat has the ball, it is Charles cat. do you like the cat? It tooR her several precious minutes te explain that the ship would sal at 2 o'clock and they wanted te get to Port-au-Prince.
 Evidently the man understood ner halting phrases. He turned tc his daughter and gave her qulcH instructions; instantly she dlsap- peared once more.
 "Ah message" he explained to JoNce, twill be sent to the snip.
 She recalled what pr. Gray nag toad them about the drums, lhal the natives could send a message more quickly than it could be telephoned. Little had she real ized that they might have an op- portunity to test the fact.
 Long moments passed, and they stood in the roadway. a grotesque assembly,: the three chatterlng na- tive bovs. concerned with nothing but the plight of their cherished automobile; the nervous, sus' picious MT. Gregory, whining hl' distress; the mighty black man strong with the heritage Of Henr Christophe, the emperor =:
 Still the drums echoed througr the hills, and deep in the woods the fires burned, but strangely, Joyces fears had slipped away. Now the drums were no more weird tnan her own radio; the fires were the lights of home, where 1amliles gathered now for the evening meal. These things were but the natural principles of life; it was the foreign element which had failed them, the American motor car for which these boys had for- saken their primitive hearths.
 Presently, above the sound of the drums, they heard the long blast O, the ships whistle, and knew that this was the signal for the last launch to leave the shore. MT. Greg gory became almost hysterical as Il seemed that they would be left De- hind. .,
 "What do we stand here for? he cried. "If the ship sails Wlth- out us. we might at least get back to the city. We can't stay all nlght in this jungle"
 Joyce explained for him; per haps it would be better ii they walked to the city.
 The man bowed again. It IS far to Port-au-Prince, mamselle' he said quietly. "If the message is not received, you and monsieur are welcome in my simple home.'
 She looked at him, wondering if she understood correctly: He repeated the words, more sioWly' and she knew no doubt. He was as sincere in offering his hospl, tality as any of her New England neighbors; if anything, he did II with greater dignity. -
 But before she could frame her reply, a welcome sound echoed through the hills, the sound of an approaching automobile. In the long half hour they had been standing on the road, no other car had passed them. They waited