Part 18 (1/2)
The rainy season caain stood in the presence of the Great King All around him was desolation and death The plain was streith the bodies ofruin To the left, three regiht, two battalions of African Rifles sat at ”chop,” and the snappy notes of their bugles cah the still air
”I airl who crouched at his side said nothing Only her eyes never left the brick-red face of Sanders
”Old you are,” he said, ”yet not too old to die”
”I a,” whined the other, ”and it is not proper that a great king should hang”
”Yet if you live,” said Sanders, ”s will say, 'We reatness we shall live'”
”And what of irl in a low voice
”You!” Sanders looked at her ”Ho, hi,” he said, as though he had just reirl? Noe shall do nothing with you, Daihili-because you are nothing”
He saw her shrink as one under a lash
After the execution, the Colonel of the Houssas and Sanders were talking together
”What I can't understand,” said the Colonel, ”is e suddenly decided upon this expedition It has been necessary for years-but why this sudden activity?”
Sanders grinned lish,” he said airily ”Old Man Limbili steals British subjects, and I report it 'Very sad,' says England He wipes out a nation 'Deplorable!' says England He ood-intention stones of Hades 'Treat it as a joke,' says England; but when I point out that these stones assay one ounce ten penny-weights of refined gold, and that we've happed upon the richest reef in Central Africa, there's an army here in six months!”
I personally think that Sanders may have been a little unjust in his point of view After all, wars cost eance are notoriously unprofitable
CHAPTER VII
THE FOREST OF HAPPY DREAMS
Sanders was tied up at a ”wooding,” being on his way to collect taxes and administer justice to the folk ell on the lower Isisi River
By the river-side the little steamer was moored There was a tiny bay here, and the swift currents of the river were broken to a gentle flow; none the less, he inspected the shore-ends of the wire hawsers before he crossed the narrow plank that led to the deck of the Zaire The as stacked on the deck, ready for to-e had been put in by Yoka, the engineer, as he had ordered; the engines had been cleaned; and Sanders nodded approvingly He stepped lightly over two or three sleeping forained the shore ”Now I think I'll turn in,” he muttered, and looked at his watch It was nine o'clock He stood for a moment on the crest of the steep bank, and stared back across the river The night was black, but he saw the outlines of the forest on the other side He saw the jewelled sky, and the pale reflection of stars in the water Then he went to his tent, and leisurely got into his pyjamas He jerked two tabloids frolass of water, and thrust his head through the tent opening ”Ho, Sokani!” he called, speaking in the vernacular, ”let the lo-koli sound!”
He went to bed
He heard the rustle of hter as his subtle joke was repeated, for the Cambul people have a keen sense of hu rattle of sticks on the native drum-a hollow tree-trunk Fiercely it beat-furiously, breathlessly, with now and then a deeper note as the drue of sleep to the camp
In one wild crescendo, the lo-koli ceased, and Sanders turned with a sigh of content and closed his eyes-he sat up suddenly He must have dozed; but he ide awake now
He listened, then slipped out of bed, pulling on his ht he stepped, and found N'Ke
”You heard, master?” said the native
”I heard,” said Sanders, with a puzzled face, ”yet we are nowhere near a village”