The Ivory Trail

SS COMPREH

peak glows

ze whispers

oled sweet by

s soon shall

he sleepless

'er plain an

f the brigh

f the white

he charcoal glowed and

spear-blades, and the

e spearmen gathered,

erbs that the tri

ood-brother partners

the runners come fr

the thorn-fire of th

e English! When will t

of raiding, when the fe

on their forearms, a

ng villages, grew re

shouting and the t

ed cattle-when we burne

from ambush-when we

is-skilled wor

d in life-blood as the

e English! When will

in triumph with the

en women! Oh the da

ellow ivory-the f

he heifers that the

ge eyes at last our

to count how many

en (and the chief's g

e English! When will

w in number, and the

n and heavy where the si

to market, and the wi

s and cowrie-past t

lake to mountain, an

ay hurt them (and the w

the country as our her

he English-when shall

peak glows

ze whispers

oled sweet by

s soon shall

he sleepless

'er plain an

f the brigh

f the white

rtain streets, and all inhabited by natives. Arabs, Swahili, Indians, Goanese, Syrians, Greeks and so on had to live in rectangular huts and keep to other streets. On on

ing. The place was governed-existed for and by leave of government. The inhabitants were there on suffran

an soldier with a loaded rifle, flanked by two others, and pursued by a fourth armed only with the hippo-hide whip, called kiboko by t

again, scornful of all foreign black men, fanatic Muhammedans, and therefore fine tools in the German hand. They worked harder than the chain-gang, for they had to march

re was a row of Indian and Arab stores. At the north end was the market building-an enormous structure of round stucco pillars supporting a great grass roof; and facing that at the southern end were the court-house, th

the last few days, and the door being shut they set me down on the step. Then we sent Kazimoto into the fort with a

nough, but he did not come out again f

ply, using the all-emb

there?" we deman

rel

w m

y ma

fic

nod

doctor

for the doctor. A sold

the note in th

ead it?"

and then showed it to

did th

hed and sa

s that Kazimoto had mad

ted the non-commiss

he German language like a barkeep. Bet you I'm b

te by the sentry almost unchallenged. But he was gone more than fifteen minutes,

go?" sugg

mping-ground, it seems, on our way in. We've lea

tents already pitched, but we were not sufficiently interested just then to see who owned the other tents. We pitched our own-stowed the loads in one of the shelters-gave our porters money for board and rati

lace in there," he sa

commissioned officer

il-looks like a fine

fices. Two-story build

all sitting smok

with a mighty mean face turned his head to squint at me: but he di

he doctor?'

on,' he answered.

se to get medical assistance. He listened without asking a question, and when I'd d

to-morrow morning. He didn't even look interested. I piled it on thicker and told him abo

ng votes for a Milwaukee alderman never wheedled more gingerly. I called him 'Herr Staff Surgeon' and mentioned the

eight!' was all the

ared him to sit there, with a patient in need of prompt attention less than two hundred yards away. I called him names. I guaranteed to write to the German government and the United States papers about him. I told him I'd have his job if it cost me all my money and a lifetime's trouble. He was just

anked him first for not having mistaken me for one of

hile, make yourself scarce out of here! There is a camping-ground for the use of foreign

elp his personal reputation with the home folks, until I guessed he had his craw as near full as he could stand it w

eloved instrument was

Waves-Marching Through Georgia-My Country 'tis of Thee-The Marseillaise-The Battle Hymn of the Republic-and an

gan to awake the neighborhood to recognition of the fact that foreigners were present who held

tune sounds good! I've lived in the States! I'm a United States

grabbed the nearest rifle (it happened to be Fred's)-snapped open the breach-discovered it was loaded-and took aim. Coutlass d

e an ass

. Will took it away and r

f rot," Brown grumbled. "It's my cattle he took! It's me be's ruined! Wh

all you care t

ikely no match for him with them. Coutlass sat still and gr

m from you just the same! You lost nothing by my lifting them first! Gassharamminy! By blazes! We're all in the same boat! Let's be friendly, and treat one another like gentlemen! We're all in the power of the Germans, un

ed in the dead-level voice he uses

sent

of a cat, and just outside the tent in time to avoid the swing of Fred'

fools! Make terms with me now; let us all go together and unearth that Tippoo Tib ivory, and I can arrange with these Germans to let us

rhaps, came and stood in line with him. Very comfortless they

f the border," Will said sotto voice. "No ea

them, "or take the consequences! Mr. Bro

e-ho-ha-ha-ha-ha! Drunkard Brown of Lumbwa wants to avenge himself, and his

disgusting animals. Fred took a short quick step forward. Will followed

"I never saw a more obvious effort to start t

Will admitted.

weapons, retreated, continuing to shout abuse at Brown who, between a ye

says they're under arrest. That may be true, or it may be a trick. It's perfectly obvious Coutlass wanted to start a fight, and I'm dea

the town-on the town

friends from no

begged Brown. "I tell you I don't care ab

walked straight for the gap in the cactus hedge by which w

ced swiftly to right and lef

onets or rifles, but good big sticks and handcuffs! If we'd touched those Greeks they'd have

they had us in jail in this God-forsaken plac

ed ourselves back into good temper-even Brown, who had no notion whether we knew the secret, being

ute if I knew how! If it weren't for those bloody Greeks laughing at me I'd get more drunk to-night than any ten

and the Goanese subsided into temporary quiet, and our own boys, squatting by a fire they had placed so that they could watch the Gre

ely to make Germans happy, repeating The Marseillaise and Rule Britannia again and again

f supreme insult, or slept as was likely from the after-effect of too much bottled

noise, as readily as powder to the match. All that section of Muanza, man, woman and child, came and squatted outside the cactus hedge. (It was streng poli

hen the struggle and hot argument that followed that had died down, Indians began coming, and other Greeks, until most of t

rs took their pleasure of an evening. Pleasure, except as laid down in regulations, is not permitted in German colonies to any except white folk.

ton-clad backs and shoulders. There was no yelling (it was not allowed after dark on German soil, at least by natives) but a sudden pattering i

ous blue eyes, like a pig's. His general build was heavy. The fair mustache made no attempt to conceal fat lips that curled cr

a smile more than half made up of contempt for cour

ll asked. He was the

an w

d, knew English and wa

e Unteroffitzieren spend the evening, all very fond of singing

nch and English

eve it! Kommen Sie!

pagne-brandy-

one!" announced Brown,

tactics. "Listen! You gentlemen have not too many friends in Muanza! I speak in friendship. I invite you on behalf of myself and other Unteroffitzieren

en Si

here I can't sleep. Anything to keep from thinking ab

ks?" Fred demanded. "The

ake turns keeping watch till morning." He said it with

"That is all ganz einfach

r. A non-commissioned officer

. So nothing whatever shall be stolen! Then come

ame-saw them posted-and then walked up-street behind the sergeants, Schubert leading us all

hree abreast, swinging their kibokos with a sort of elephantine sporty air. They were men of all heights and thicknesses, but each alike impressed me with the Pru

t the non-commissioned officers' mess overlooked all trifles in brave determination to obey. They marched in, humming tunes (each a different one, and nearly a

ng that East Africa could show in the way of imported alcohol. Under the table was an unopened case of sweet German champagne, and on a little table against one wall were suc

king the neck off a bottle of beer, and

ed pepper, and watched everything from now on with an eye like a gimlet, writing down in a book against each sergeant's name wh

question. "There is just so much drink in the whole place. We shall drink every dro

y to the whole proceedings. A small, very black Nyamwesi came with brush and pan and groped on the floor all night for the s

"Start it up! Sing that first!" He be

s and runs on which he prides himself, that he swears is classical, but of which neither he nor anybody k

st he had accumulated in the course of all that long marching since he left home. He had forgotten his cattle already-the Greeks who stole them-the Masai who stole

st in proof of all I say!" he info

nts had been raised on. Fred made the happy discovery that none of them knew The Marseillaise, so he played that as an antidote each time after they had made the hard-wood rafters ri

l the sergeants except Schubert were sufficiently drunk to feel thoroughly

Jew, sitting beside me with his book of names and charges, poured cool water over my bandages and translated to me what they all said. He spo

no money with which to pay for lodging, so he proposed to wait outside the gate and watch for the coming

gin. Now she was to have a child. It would be a half-black, half-white child. Who would now marry a woman with such a child as that? Yet nothing bad been given her. She had been simply

ert, who seemed only appalled by the impudence of th

honor not sufficient that your black brute of a daughter should have a baby by such a great per

n lay face-downward on the floor without so much as a murmur of objection, and buried his face in both hands. The askaris prompt

ered Schuber

was more than a yard long, tapering from an inch and a half where the man's fist gripped it to half an inch thi

The brute doesn't feel it when you beat so fast! Let him wait for

ell on the back and thighs all cut the skin, and within two minutes the native's back was a bloody mass, and ther

d not dare stop without one. The victim writhed, but did not cry out, and the writhing grew les

shtrate. You beat a black man an' they'll fine you first offense, jail you second offense, an' third offense God knows what they'll do

ir by the farther wall, leer

lack man yourself! You ought-to-be-on-floor 'stead o' him! Dunno-how-beha

p at last. The askaris stood a

ordered

struggled to his feet

nning blood and his f

how to behave!"

ve made

erly I'll order you throw

sort of imitation of the

the bwana makubwa to trouble hi

N

u go bac

es

arned a le

Y

ay than

nk y

Ruksa, you hav

ther than walking, to the door and disappearin

gs and a round of drin

. The sergeants went on singing without music, and while we waited for the Jew to reckon up Fred's score Schubert came over to u

you behold? I tell you, we Germans know how to rule these black people! We understand! We employ no sickly sentimen

by the people?" Fred

and that German! You English are not fit to govern colonies! You are mawkishly sentimental! You think more of the feelings of a black man and of the rights of his women than of progress-advancement-kultur! Bah! I tell you they have no feelings a real man need consider! They are only fit for furthering the aims o

to be popular,

r own mother?"

race! Yet even she-the good Prussian mother-could not hold a candle to a man! Her business was to raise sons for

ation should breed l

ussian sergeant-majors we shall want! Donnerwetter! Do you think we Germans will long be satisfied with this miserable section of East Africa that was all the English left to us on this coast? We use this for a foothold, that is all! We use

bill, scrawled on a pi

it away and crumpl

are my guests to-n

care to be your guests. Here," he said

a perfectly blank face, as if he watched to s

the Jew turned his back and busied h

bert laughed. "He under

hospi

ed Fred. "We'll go

stay here until I have said what I have to say to you! The rest of yo

, knocked off the neck, and emptied the contents down his

sten," s

alo

l stay. Al

e with his thumb toward Brown, who

at one s

lly," Fred answered. "He kn

ouble-worse troubl

es into each of ours in turn, then sta

d answered. "We have done

is another name for c

osed to have done

was intended to be a sly loo

" he answered. "As for that, time will no doubt dis

fishing for graft too often in the States not to recognize symptoms! Spill the ba

is jaws after the word like a snap with a steel spring

t iv

our best to

sell the secret to us, but we never agreed on a price and he died without telling. Gott! He would have told had I had the interviewing of him! It

d murmured, with a glanc

u know," said Schubert, "you might be suitably compensated. You would certa

ise us that?" Fred de

ogether, and the palms of his hands touching between his knees. The sergeants were all singin

until morning. There is time until you leave this buildin

as we had intended, with that combinati

e know what we don't know-and put 'em

Monty were here

im and then some; but we're able to handle this oursel

e was always better at swift action in the open and optimism in the face of visible

fer to lead them to it on certain conditions. T

hook h

se he should learn while he's there that the stuff i

no chance in the world of getting even a broker's share of it, Mon

d related with grim amusement to Sergeant Sachse, who was sitting next him, ou

because he sent the female packing when she proposed to have a child? Do they not kno

hings," grinned Schubert, "but ch

f a native's hide doesn

see our court

thers, was beginning to grow noisy in his speech and to laugh without apparent reason. The rest were all already frankly drunk, and any excu

one without winkin

ht pig-eyes gleamed th

hampagne unopened. I bet you that case of champagn

ants rose and gathered round Sachse. Schubert

oared, and the Jew obeyed, setting

e not take a regular flogging, and that

s much as you!

will both take a flog

irst shall pay fo

cheeks grew whiter, but he st

nt is made!" he boasted. "It is not only Prussian

l who was doing police duty outside in the street came running. He had a kiboko

ke to flog white

dare!" grinne

Would you not

!" the man ans

e other-turn and turn about until I give the order to cease! And listen! If you fail once-just one little time!-to flog with all

ng doubt, fear and wonder. But he grinned with his lips,

manded Schubert, and the serge

oose a r

feet away. The corporal took his stand between. He was an enormous Nubian, broad of chest, with the big sloping

hen he took the sleeve of his tunic between his

a gun going off. Schubert neither winced nor murmured, but the blood wel

flinched at the sound of the whip going up, and the other sergeants roared delight. But he was still when it descended, and th

ash on the very spot whence the blood flowed, this time cutting the pants open, but Schuber

inched again while waiting for the blow, but met it when it did come without a tremor of any kind. He was much the softer. Blood flowed fr

like a man asleep. He might have been dead, except for the even rise and fall of his breathing, that never checked or quickened once. Nine-and-forty strokes he took without a sign of yieldi

at you have flogged two whi

ieve me?" the

to his feet. He was pa

bert. "A Prussian is better than an

ant-major's servant. He was made to produce a basin and cold water-he discovered them somewhere in the dim recesses of the store-and sponge his mas

e other sergeants-refused to drink any of the sweet champagne he would now have to pay for-a

ged hide, the Jew came and poured more cool water on my hot bandages, touching them with deft fingers

obey hees officers. Zey say to cut your troat-he cut it! Zey say to tell you a lot o' lies-he tell! He iss not a t'inker, but a doer: and hees fafori

Seeing us with our heads together, Schubert crossed the room, beginning to get very drunk now that t

rt and his hands behind him in his favorite attitude-swaying gently bac

answered. "We'll

ered, continuing to sway. "I can d

do to-night?

s. "I can report. The re

rising, "that if they care to make us a reason

ert l

l be too late!

ping Will support me to the door. The feldwebel stood grinning while I held to the doorpost and they

other obvious solution of the problem, Will hoisted him upon his back and carried him, he snoring, all the

threw him on the bed in his own tent-accepted Fred's offer of silver money-and departed, marching up-street in their hea

e embers of the fire before the tent and arranging the lantern so that its rays would betray any eavesdropp

's property always says our, and never your.) "As soon as you were gone the Greeks and the Goa came. They and the askaris que

ut?" Fred

ny letters in your pockets. Of what do you speak when you suppose no man is listening. Bwana, my heart is very sad in me! Those Greeks tell lies, and the Germans stir trouble in a big pot like the witches! I know the Germans! I am Nyamwezi. I was born not far from here, and ran away as soon as I was old enough because the Germa

t night for any of us.

rried. By the light of

tory to tell that we

t us wander w

s big enough to lose ourselves in! What is it-two hundred and fifty miles long by as many broad? D'you mean we can't give their sleuths the slip? We can't beat that for a plan: let 'em keep on thinking we know

end solved our biggest problem, althoug

, and put their experts on deciphering the message. They'll say it was lost if there are any inquiries afterward.) I propose we send a straight-out cableg

t-" Will

be sent in the regular way by mail. They'll open that. The other to go by runner. Kazimoto can

water when we examined it, so we wrote as Fred suggested-one letter telling Monty that we hoped to make some arrangement with the Germans, and at all event

up finally in a piece of waterproof silk. Then we sent for Kaz

by day and travel by night until I reach the British border! Give me onl

it for us afterward on the British side of the border at any place we should name. But we upbraided him for cowardice, or

only we could have recalled that decision and have known that he was speed

he sky Schubert came swaggering down-street to

slept?" he ask

d somethin

I have just swallowed the last of the beer! Whoever wants a mor

only one likely to yearn for alcohol

arp! There remain twenty minutes. Come with me tell

be too late after brea

will be people on that launch, one of whom has authority that overrides that of the commandant of this place. The commandant de

y," Fred

sk your commandant what price he offers for the secret!

rning on his heel. He swaggered out of the camping-ground and up-street again, leav

said I. "I'll wait on the hospita

, past where the Jew stood blinking in the morning sun on the steps

le! If you have any frien'

r for us to British E

rugged himself like a man standing under a water-sp

re of the trouble

! Trouble, I tell you

king until dawn. I hea

r your

white with a saber in glittering scabbard watching us all from the boma gate. A

parade. The corporals were Nubians, and the rest of the rank and file either Nubian or some sort of Sudanese. He was harangui

the man let his rifle get out of alignment. Schubert wrenched it from him. It fell to the ground. He struck the man, and when he stooped to pick the rifle up kicked h

Schubert commenced with company drill, and for two hours after that, with but one interval of less than five minutes for rest, he kept them pounding the gravel in evolution after e

zzling his eyes from over the boma wall. The dust rose off the square. The words of command came bellowing in swift succession from a throat that ought to have been h

piling their wares in the shade of the great grass roof. Then he went into the boma to breakfast just as a serg

the doctor," I said.

unk in the D.O.A.G. the night before, but a man

seen you!" he answered, turning his back and busying himse

d to have all the imaginable kinds of sores. He took no notice of me, but sent out the sergeant

sat together on the steps watching the activity of the square. There was a lot going on-bartering of skins and hides-counting of crocodile eggs, brought in by natives for sake of the bounty of a few copper coins the

he great baobab that faced the boma gate not far from the middle of the square. I noticed then for the first time that a short he

lass, his Greek companion and the Goanese arm in arm, followed closely by two askaris who shouted angrily and made a great show of trying to

erstand that there are degrees of disgrace. To Coutlass all victims of government outrage ought surely to be more tha

e would remain quietly in camp with that going on! Give us chairs!" he ca

he came out again and gave the Greeks leave to stand under the tree, provided they would return to ca

tom or anythin'-said he could do what the white men did an' help himself. Father of the girl took a spear and settled the thief's hash with it-ran him through-did a

fact, we wished him anywhere but with us, but he

you're sitting here, an' shoot a black man for murderin' a white; but the blacks don't understand, so when they kill one another in such a case this, why we give 'em a short jail sentence an' a good

uld happen. Evidently warning had been sent out broadcast, for the inhabitants of village after village came trooping into town to watch, each lot led by its sultani in filthy rags and the foolish imitation crown his conquerors ha

as a proud-looking fellow. He halted a moment between his guard of German sergeants and eyed the crowd, and

ant then, in snow-white uniform, with his saber polished until it shone-all spruced up for the occas

mount the table and soap-box, and there he stood eying his oppressors as calmly as if he were witnessing a play. A murmu

by to him," said Brow

ng him they wo

made a speech with that ash-can voice of his-first in German, then in the Nyamwezi tongue. Will translated to us sentence by sentence, the d

ience-hypocrisy garbed in paternal phrases, and interlarded with bun

st be enforced impartially-the good, sound, German la

ished he turned

"do you know why y

g. The man on the table with his hands behind him surveyed the crowd again with the gaze of simple dignity, looked down on the com

officers do. He stole my young girl. I killed him, as I hope all you

he crowd sigh

but enough to call his attention to the proprieties. His toe struck me instead, an

white man's anger varies in inverse ratio with his nearness to the equator. But furor teutonicus transplanted is the

oves. He half-drew his saber-thought better of that, and returned it. There was an askari standing near with kiboko in hand to drive back the crowd should any press too closel

him in German, "you shall not die in comfort!

words in the native tongue, explaining to the crow

wn from there

ound behind him the poor fellow had no power of balance, and though he jumped clear he fell face-downwa

ordered. "Two h

andant's incessant sharp commands to beat harder-harder-harder. A sergeant stood

ur other men-two sergeants and two natives-passed a rope round the table legs. Schubert lifted the victim by the elbows so that his head

off with a laugh, his white tunic bloody f

ared the

victim spun in the air on nothing, spinning round, and round, and round-s

anesthesia, but few are reported to have come back to tell of the experience. At any r

ortured shapes, and his toes pointed upward so sharply that they almost touched his shins. Then suddenly the toes turned downward and the knees relapsed.

. The crowd trailed away, none glancing back. The pattering of feet ceased. The market-place across the square resumed its hum and act

suited me or not. I rather expected he would come to meet me, perhaps help me to chair,

the orderly washed the wound and changed my bandages. That was all. There was no char

word when he woul

ing, "He did not-there is n