Part 57 (2/2)
Kaziular for solemnly
”Divorce me--soon and swiftly, somebody!” Fred demanded
We appealed to Kazimoto for information, but only threw him into a quandary, and he proceeded to add to ours The usual price for a wo as she was lovely or her father rich In case of divorce, custoiven back The objection to any other property than cows changing hands to bind or loose in wedlock was that food, for instance, when eaten was not returnable
”Married to the gal for good an! all!”' Brown grinned, nudging Will and me to note Fred's consternation ”You'd better stay here an' take the chief's job when he kicks the bucket--possibly you can speed the day by overfeedin' him!”
”Some men's luck,” Will murmured, but stopped in ure, gesticulating like a wind as it caible sound explain at least who the apparition was
”Gasshara us so out of breath that he could not force through his teeth another rational syllable, but heat Fred's rifle, persisting until Will and I pulled hione!” he panted at last ”Give me that rifle, or come yourself! Hurry! There's a wind! You'll be too late!”
”You're drea or drunk!” Fred answered, but Coutlass refused to be disbelieved, and in another h the darkness toward the ca and the dhow snuglythe rocks
The chief and his followers far outdistanced us in spite of their gorged condition--all except the woh unhappily, behind Fred When we reached the ca out on the lake, where we could justlike a phantoed in that weak uncertain light We all shouted together, but there came no answer and we could not tell whether the sound carried as far as the dhow or not
”Gasshara up and down the bank in frenzy ”Give me that rifle! I'll show you! I'll teach them!”
I believe I would have fired if the rifle had been in my hands Brown, last to arrive and ry shouts for vengeance Will offered no argu shot Fred set the butt of the rifle doith a determined snort, walked over toward the fire, stirred the embers, threw on more fuel, and looked about him when the dry wood blazed
”If she has left asthe lot of us, I don't see it anywhere!” he said, taking his seat on a rock
”A blanket?” sneered Coutlass ”She has even your asted galoot not to shoot at her!”
Fred patted the bulging pocket of his shooting jacket
”Most of the hed with relief
”Take canoes and chase theain
”There's tih” Fred answered ”We know the winds of these parts well enough by this tiht Then calm until dawn After dawn a little ain until late afternoon They'll run on a rock in all likelihood If they do we can catch theet these islanders to paddle If it should blow hard, then we can't catch them anyhow Sit down and tell us what happened, Coutlass!”
The Greek cursed and swore and pranced, but all in vain Fred was inexorable We others grew calmer when the problem of who should paddle the canoes solved itself suddenly with the arrival of fourteen of our ownthe bank in vain hope of catching the dhow soh the crocodile-infested water, and returned now disconsolate, to leap and laugh with new hope at sight of us and of the red round near the fire They came near in a cluster Will hacked off a luot their troubles, as instantly as the birds forget when a sparrok has donewas gone after all Kazimoto found the pots we had cooked the rice in, and started to boil the hippo's tongue for us
”Come, Coutlass--sit down before we eat and tell us what happened,”
Fred suggested
The Greek paced up and down another tih at Fred's woman, who had squatted down patiently in the shadow behind hi on the far side of the fire ”You have a woman! Mine is God knohere! She said to me--that hell-daether in the stern of the dhoith my arm around Rebecca, and she said to me--”
”I'll see if I can't make a dicker for the chief's canoes,” Will interrupted ”We can hear the Greek's tale any old tiested cheerfully ”Go on, Coutlass!”