Part 4 (1/2)

'Slay what, you old bloodhound?' I asked

This rather puzzled hith he answered--

'The other shadows'

'So thou wouldst continue thyeven after death?' I said

'I ht Man is born to kill He who kills not when his blood is hot is a woman, and no man The people who kill not are slaves I say I kill in fair fight; and when I ao on killing in fair fight May my shadow be accursed and chilled to the bone for ever if it should fall tolike a bushman with his poisoned arrows!'

And he stalked aith

Just then the spies who to find out if there were any traces of our Masai friends about, returned, and reported that the country had been scoured for fifteenseen, and that they believed that those gentry had given up the pursuit and returned whence they cah of relief when he heard this, and so indeed did we, for we had had quite enough of the Masai to last us for so we had reached the iven up the pursuit of us as a bad job How ill-judged that vieas the sequel will show

After the spies had gone, and Mrs Mackenzie and Flossie had retired for the night, Alphonse, the little Frenchood French scholar, got him to tell us how he came to visit Central Africa, which he did in a o, that for the randfather,' he began, 'was a soldier of the Guard, and served under Napoleon He was in the retreat fros and a pair he stole froet drunk--he died drunk, and I re at druested that he ht skip his ancestry and come to the point

'Bien, messieurs!' replied this comical little man, with a polite bow

'I did only wish to derandfather was a splendid h, broad in proportion, a ser of fire and gaiters Also he was remarkable for hismore

'I am, messieurs, a cook, and I was born at Marseilles In that dear town I spent my happy youth For years and years I washed the dishes at the Hotel Continental Ah, those were golden days!' and he sighed 'I am a Frenchman Need I say, messieurs, that I admire beauty? Nay, I adore the fair Messieurs, we adarden, but we pluck one I plucked one, and alas, er She was a cha, her face an angel's, her heart--alas, messieurs, that I should have to own it!--black and slippery as a patent leather boot I loved to desperation, I adored her to despair She transported me--in every sense; she inspired me Never have I cooked as I cooked (for I had been promoted at the hotel) when Annette, my adored Annette, smiled on me

Never'--and here his ain' Here he melted into tears

'Co hi what e from your dinner today, I should say you were in a fair way to recovery'

Alphonse stopped weeping, and began to rub his back 'Monsieur,' he said, 'doubtless means to console, but his hand is heavy To continue: we loved, and were happy in each other's love The birds in their little nest could not be happier than Alphonse and his Annette Then came the blow--sapristi!--when I think of it Messieurs will forgive me if I wipe away a tear Mine was an evil number; I was drawn for the conscription

Fortune would be avenged onwon the heart of Annette

'The evil ht by brutal soldiers, and they banged me with the butt-end of muskets till my mustachios curled with pain I had a cousin a linen-draper, well-to-do, but very ugly He had drawn a good number, and sympathized when they thumped me ”To thee, my cousin,” I said, ”to thee, in whose veins flows the blue blood of our heroic grandparent, to thee I consign Annette Watch over her whilst I hunt for glory in the bloody field”

'”Make your mind easy,” said he; ”I will” As the sequel shows, he did!

'I went I lived in barracks on black soup I am a refined man and a poet by nature, and I suffered tortures fros There was a drill sergeant, and he had a cane Ah, that cane, how it curled! Alas, never can I forget it!

'Onecame the news; eant and the other coarse monsters rejoiced I--I made enquiries about Tonquin They were not satisfactory In Tonquin are savage Chinese who rip you open My artistic tastes--for I a ripped open The great man makes up his mind quickly I made up my mind I determined not to be ripped open I deserted

'I reached Marseilles disguised as an old randfather's heroic blood--and there sat Annette It was the season of cherries They took a double stalk At each end was a cherry My cousin put one into his mouth, Annette put the other in hers Then they drew the stalks in till their eyes met--and alas, alas that I should have to say it!--they kissed The game was a pretty one, but it filled randfather boiled up in me I rushed into the kitchen I struck my cousin with the old man's crutch He fell--I had slain him Alas, I believe that I did slay hiendarmes came I fled I reached the harbour I hid aboard a vessel The vessel put to sea The captain found me and beat n port to the police He did not put me ashore because I cooked so well I cooked for him all the way to Zanzibar When I asked for payrandfather boiled within me, and I shook e He kicked raraphs Now I curse hiain I was to be arrested for desertion, for murder, and que sais-je? I escaped from the prison I fled, I starved I ht me here I am full of woe But I return not to France Better to risk ne'

He paused, and we nearly choked with laughter, having to turn our faces away