Part 27 (1/2)
She said nothing Her head was sunk till her chin rested on her bare, brown breast, but she looked at hie lu like a panic awoke in Sanders' heart-had the mischief been done? He cursed Ludley, and breathed a fervent, if o doith hiii love reat lord, and I was a slave; I also would have gone down to hell, for some day I hoped I should bear him children, but now that can never be”
”And thank the Lord for it!” said Sanders, under his breath
He would have given her some words of cheer, but she turned abruptly froure as it receded down the straggling street, and went back to his steamer
He was ten miles down the river before he reirl had been undelivered
”That is very extraordinary,” said Sanders, with soPenson caland to take the place of the returned Ludley He was a fresh-faced youth, bubbling over with enthusiasm, and, what is more important, he had served a two-years' apprenticeshi+p at Sierra Leone
”You are to go up to Isisi,” said Sanders, ”and I want to tell you that you've got to be jolly careful”
”What's the racket?” de?”
”So far as I know,” said Sanders, putting his feet up on the rail of the verandah, ”they are not-it is not bloodshed, but love that you've got to guard against”
And he told the story of M'Lino, even though it was no creditable story to British ad Penson, when he had finished
”I trust you all right,” said Sanders, ”but I don't trust the woman-let me hear from you froet suspicious, and I'll co in a very unpleasant ain; for he was at the age when a man is very sure of himself
Remarkable as it may read, from the moment he left to take up his new post until he returned to headquarters, in disgrace, a few irl, with her wonderful eyes Other communications came to hand, official reports, terse and to the point, but no an to worry
The stories cah, extraordinary stories of people who had been punished unjustly, of savage floggings administered by order of the sub-commissioner, and Sanders took boat and travelled up the river hec du the river bank It was not an easy walk, because the country hereabouts is a riot of vegetation Then he ca on a squeaky violin, for the pleasure of M'Lino, lying face doards on the grass, her chin in her hands
”In the name of a thousand devils!” said Sanders wrathfully; and the boy got up from the fallen tree on which he sat, and looked at him calmly, and with no apparent eirl and pointed
”Go back to the village, e
”Now, you irl had gone-slowly and reluctantly-”what is this story I hear about your flogging O'Sako?”
The youth took his pipe from his pocket and lit it coolly
”He beat M'Lino,” he said, in the tone of one who offered full justification
”Froather that he is the unfortunate husband of that attractive nigger lady you were char just nohen I arrived?”
”Don't be beastly,” said the other, scowling ”I know she's a native and all that sort of thing, but et used to her colour--”
”Go on board ard yourself as ht hiate the flogging of O'Sako, and no word passed concerning M'Lino till they were back again at headquarters
”Of course I shall send you home,” said Sanders