Part 8 (1/2)
”Goons?” he said ”Goons? You gentleoon what settled the hash of Sayed bin Mohammed--here it be This other one's the rifle--see the nicks on her butt!--that Kaoons--shts, twelves--Martinis--them's the lot that was reekin' red-hot, days on end, in the last Arab war on the Congo, considerable used up but goin' cheap;--then here's Mausers (he pronounced it ”Morsers”)--old-style, sa o' barrel and strong, but too high trajectory for sorain o' sand jams 'em oop;--an' Lee-Enfields, souvenirs o' the Boer War, soht froood condition Look at this one--see it--hold it--take a squint along it! Nineteen elephants shot wi' that Lee-Enfield, an' the ov'ment, that one was See, here's an Express--a beauty--owned by an officer fr'ainst all advice, hiood as mine 'tween Cairo an' the Cape or Booons all right! Sit down Look 'eation to buy”
There is no need to fit out with guns and tents in London Until both good and bad, both cowardly and brave give up the habit of dying in bed, or getting killed, or going broke, or ending up in jail for one cause and the other, there will surely always be fine pickings for uns, tents, cooking pots, and all the other things
We spent awith Captain Thomas Cook, and left the store--Fred, Yerkes and I--with a battery of weapons, including a pistol apiece--that any expedition o houn-roo of the journey would be the saht other kit, packed it, and booked passages for British East Africa Between then and the next afternoon when the British India steamboat sailed ere fairly bombarded by inquisitiveness, but contrived not to tell much And with patience beyond belief Monty restrained us fro court to Tippoo Tib
”The U S Consul says he's better worth a visit than most of the world's museums,” Yerkes assured us two or three tiue--slave-hunter, but white so a chin with him?”
But Monty was ada, but he and his friends would suspect Spies would inforovernment No Let's act as if Tippoo Tib were out of ain, shi+ny with sweat and voluble with offers of infor?” he kept asking
”England,” said Monty, and showed his own steamer ticket in proof of it
That settled Hassan for the tiering upstairs and thues
”What do you intend to do?” he asked (We were all sitting on Monty's bed, and it was Yerkes who opened the door)
”Do you an injury,” said Yerkes, ”unless you take your foot away!” The Greek had placed it deftly to keep the door open pending his convenience
”Let him have his say” advised Monty froland Are you all going to England? If so, why have you bought guns? What will you do with six rifles, three shot-guns, and three pistols on the London streets? What will you do with tents in London? Will you ent Circus, that you take with you all those cooking pots? And all that rice, is that for the English to eat? Bah! No tenderfoot can fool et aith it unknown toI can not find out that goes on in Africa! You think to cheat s! I will smithereen the whole damned lot of you before you touch a tusk!”
”Get out of here!” growled Yerkes
”Give hied Monty, and Coutlass heard him Peaceful advice seeazines of fury He clenched his fists--spat because the words would not flow fast enough--and screamed
”Give , and the appearance of an audience stie
”The only chance I need is a sight of your carcasses within range, and a long range will do for Georges Coutlass!” He glared past Yerkes at Monty who had risen leisurely ”You call yourself a lord? I call you a thief! A jackal!”
”Here, get out!” growled Yerkes, self-constituted Cerberus
”I will go when I damned please, you Yankee jackanapes!” the Greek retorted through set teeth Yerkes is a free ument He closed, and the Greek's ribs cracked under a vastly stronger hug than he had drea either, and though he gasped he gathered himself for a terrific effort
”Coh the door like a bolt from a catapult Fred followedMonty started down the stairs
”Coain
We followed, for there is no use in choosing a leader if you don't intend to obey him, even on occasions when you fail at once to understand There was one turn on the wide stairs, and Monty stood there, back to the wall
”Go below, you fellows, and catch!” he laughed ”We don't want Will jailed for hole was fierce and swift Coutlass searched with a thumb for Will's eye, and stamped on his instep with an iron-shod heel But he was a dissolute brute, and for all his strength Yerkes' cleaner living very soon told Presently Will spared a hand to wrench at the aony Then he began to sway this way and that without volition of his own, yielding his balance, and losing it again and again In another
”Steady, Will!” called Monty froathered hi, and hurled the Greek downstairs backward