Part 66 (2/2)
Schillingschen started as if shot
”One of your men is an eavesdropper,” Fred assured hi has been pulled already, Professor!”
”Let's play the cards face up!” Will interrupted ischen You're an all-in scoundrel You're a spy You're a bloody murderer of women and defenseless natives If we could prove that ouldn't argue with you We know you burned that dhoith the woot no evidence, that's all We know the Gerovernment wants that ivory, and we knohy We also want it Our only reason for secrecy is that we hope for better ter to fear, except possible financial loss If you prefer to come with us to Kisumu and have the whole matter out in court, all you need do is just say so On the other hand, if you want to get out of this country before your diary can reach the hands of the British High Commissioner--you'd just better slide, that's all!”
”You've only until dawn to think it over,” reine we're criminals because you're one yourself! The difference between your offer and ours is that you're bluffing and we know it, whereas we're not bluffing by as much as a hair, and the quicker you see that the better for you!”
”Oh, rats! Let's take him in with us to Kisuschen capitulated
”Very well,” he said ”Kurtz und gut I will leave the country Perun!”
”No guns!” said Fred pronedly, and ent out of the tent to talk over ways and means In spite of our recent experience of Gernorant of the workings of the ermanica that we took his surrender at face value
The proble him down to the lake shore safely was none too sih to propose that we should loose his hands, now that he had surrendered, and permit him reasonable liberty Will--least inclined of all of us to cruelty--was disposed to agree with ht have overborne Fred's objections if Coutlass and Brown, returning froether, had not shouted and beckoned us in a mysterious sort of way, as if some new discovery puzzled them
We walked about a hundred and fifty yards to where they stood by a row of low ant-hills Neither of them was in a sociable frame of mind It was obvious from the moment we could see their faces clearly that they had not called us to enjoy a joke They stood like two du, and we had to come about abreast of them before we knee were summoned
There lay five clean-picked skeletons, one on each ant-hill One was a big bird's; one looked like a dog's; the third was a snake's; the fourth a young antelope's; and the fifth was certainly that of a yellow village cur, for so, not yet borne off by the ants
The skeletons lay as if the creatures had died writhing There were pegs driven into the earth that had evidently held them in position by the sinews Most peculiar circu very near by, with its feet deep in the red earth, as if a very heavy man had sat in it
I went back to the ca one of the professor's , for we did not know the e, nor he ours
Yes, the professor always did that to animals He liked to sit and watch thee (science?) Yes, the anied out alive on the ant-hills, and the professor would sit with his watch in his hand, counting theIt was part of the duty of the ten to catch ani them alive to him in camp for that purpose No, they did not knohy he did it, except that it hite e No, natives did not do that way, except now and then to their enemies The professor always made threats he would do so to them if they ran away from him, or disobeyed, or misbehaved Certainly they believed him! Why should they not believe him? Did not Germans always keep their hen they talked of punishschen lie bound, whether or not the iron wire cut his wrists We did not trouble to go back to inquire whether he needed drink, but let him wait for that until supper-ti who should have the disagreeable and not too easy task of taking the professor to the lake and sending hiainst a rock, with the firearood view of all the countryside, very much puzzled as to whether to leave Coutlass behind in camp (with Brown and the whisky) or send him (with or without Brown) and one or two of us on the errand He was a dangerous ally in either case
Evening fell, and the good s the wind to find us still undecided We returned to the tent thinking that perhaps soht say would help us to decide one way or the other
”Better see if the brute wants a drink,” said Fred, and I went in ahead to offer hione, without a trace, or a hint as to how he ed it! I called the others, and we hunted The sides of the tent were pegged down tight all around The front, it is true, ide open, but we had sat in full view of it and not soThere were no signs of burrowing
He was not under the bed, or behind the boxes, or between the sides of the tent and the fly The only cover forwhich we had come to the capture of the camp, and that was the way he must have taken But that, too, had been practically in full view of us all the time
We counted heads and called the roll Coutlass was close by It did not look as if he had played traitor this ti off his headache in the shade Kazimoto and all the boys were accounted for The prisoners were safe No donkeys were --no firearms--and no loads The earth had sischen, and that was all about it!
He had not made off with his pocket diary Fred had that There and then we packed it in an empty biscuit tin and buried it under a rock, Will and I keeping watch while Fred did the digging and covering up
It was too likely that Schillingschen would coht and try to steal it for any of us to care about keeping it on his person
It was too late to look far and wide for hi A hunter such as he could have lain unseen in the dark with us al on him Gone was all appetite for supper! We nibbled, and swore, and smoked--locked up the whisky--defied either Brown or Coutlass to try to break the boxes open--and arranged to take turns on sentry-go all that night, Will, Fred, and I--declining very pointedly offers by the other two to have their part in keeping watch In spite of lack of evidence we suspected Coutlass; and we knew no particular reason for having confidence in Brown
CHAPTER FIFTEEN