Across the Cameroons

e ship pitched and rolled in a confused sea, and the wind how

e waters that bound the Morocco coast,

, from which place they intended to strike inland through the bush,

was no sign of war, except an occasional torpedo-boat destro

been driven back in Togoland, and that active operations were in progress in the valley of the Cameroon River. He himself had travelled far in the interior; and in consequence he was able to give the boy invaluable advice concerning the kit and equipment he would need to take

strongly advise you not to en

y sm

he, "I have no option.

lored the British Government to take the country under its protection. In their own words, they wanted English laws. But the Government took no notice of them until it was too late, until the Germans had forestalled us and taken possession of the

since the object of his journey was of more than vital importanc

in northern German territory, beyond which the Caves of Zoroaster were said to be. They also interviewed an interpreter, a half-caste Spaniard from Fernando Po, who assured them he could speak every native dialect of the Hinterland, from Lagos to the Congo, as well as English and German. This proved to be no exaggeration. Urq

birth--said that he would never venture across the Cameroons

Before they became traders they had been hunters, in the old days when the We

; and when they presented themselves before Harry Urquhart, the young En

hes. The one was robust, wrinkled, broad of chest, and upright; the other, stooping, tall, and abnormally thin. There was a business-like air about them both that appealed to Harry; and this favourable impression was by no means dispelled when the brothers, in quite tolerable English, raved against the Germans, who, they swore, had bought the Cameroons with rum, in order to manage the country to th

h a new supply of provisions; and, a few days after, it was a small but well-equipped and dauntless expedition that set forth up-rive