The Ivory Trail

YE, AND

o gavest En

r Anglo-Sa

adown all

crowning wor

use the spee

y, that whe

time our h

ed hour of

ound, whate

e'er our ci

to be fe

r fortune

g from the

word or se

ty in ma

beast or s

m

sell his mules and stay within the miserable confines of the rest-camp was to make sure he had money enough to feed himself, an

y Schillingschen. Fred and Will attended the auction the day following our scene in court, and extracted a lot of am

using us to give chase he had brought us into the German net more handily than ever they had hoped. So it was reasonable on h

watch at the crossroads, and that would destroy his chance of making believe to be in our confidence. So he kept sending notes to me when the others were

ing between straight-out offers to help us escape and dark insinua

came to see what he could do for my wound and cleared up the mystery quite a little by repo

eeds in worming into your confidence and persuading you to make plans to escape with him, the

o me a favo

f German policy to pose as the friend of all missionaries, and if anything he was prejudiced against us-particularly

ends," he

y letters we write wi

t he could hard

m," I told him. "If you know of a dependable messenger who would carry our letter,

here, and realized

ed me. "Isn't it something illegal that you fear mi

e by citing as an instance of German officia

enter his hospital and are insolent if he happens to be too busy to attend

ts of our ferocity. I did not succeed in inserting as much as the thin end of a different view until h

he said. "Shouldn't she take his na

had never as much as entered

r," I said. "He's a cynical br

thought the matter over and seen the probability, he swung over to a sort

ry in British East, provided I may read it and do

ble," I said, "but th

ave to see

g an assault on him, by saying that he wanted our secret code at once. They had been trying to get tobacco to Brown, and sweetmeats to Kazimoto, had failed in both efforts and were short-tempered. He exp

ided not to read

r to Ujiji, and send it to the south end of Lake Tanganika, to be put in the British mail bag for Mombasa by way of Durban. It wi

ime, for he went straight to the doctor and repeated my complaints. He left for Ujiji the next day, and the net resu

lose the number of my mess. They went to the commandant and the lieutenant besides the doctor in efforts to secure for me some sort of consideration, but without result; and they wrote at leas

ply, and have done with it?

scarcely dare. Word might reach the British government. They're bre

ttress on the camp-bed in Fred's tent. They went again t

came away delighted that strong language shou

ri twice a day, to lean on his rifle in the

e in jail; there might be inquiries afterward from British East. After I'm dea

l 'em we don't know a thing ab

uldn't believe u

contempt and go away again, once or twice taking pains to inspect the Greeks' camp before leaving. He usually had Schubert trailing in his wake, and gave him stern orders about sa

it. Because of that, and jealousy, they raised a clamor about our freedom to go anywhere within township limits as against their strict confinement to the camp. The commandant came down to th

s. They knew eight bars of one tune, and were proud of it, the fifers blowing with beef and pluck and the drummers th

rol the whole township limits, playing its only tune, lifting the tops of men's heads with its infernal dru

ke of exercise. They refused indignantly. The commandant flew into the rage that is the b

s and his two friends should march with the band twice daily for t

nd confined within the township limits shall march with the band if they are able!" As an afterthought h

miles, Fred and Will making no objection because it gave them a chance to talk with Brown. There were strict orders against talking, and four askaris armed with rifles marched behind

-gang lies. He can talk with Kazimoto when he happens to be at that end of the chain. They've nothing but planks to lie on, any of them. He says Kazim

ow many of us will be alive or at liberty

ne the chain-gang?" Fred asked,

sh," said I.

octor's. On complaint by the askaris that a man on the chain has shirked his work, or answered back, or been obstreperous, the

t y

twelve hours at a stretch. After the second or third time up they begin to object pretty strenuously. After the third

became seized with a sort of delirious conviction that if only I could die and be out of the way my friends would be far better able to contrive without me. There is no convalescence in a mood of that sort, and each morning foun

both peered through the tent door. I was alone, for Fred and Will were in the other tent. The doctor stepped inside and examined me closely, drawing up the mosquito net to see my face. I did not troub

d Will and

ool!" That wa

ou I'll t

oor devil that's dying!

seen him use 'em. I shall

n, and sat one on ei

ctor person said to the se

s beastly langua

and have them dig your grave at noon instead of laying off for dinner. He added they'

d objected. But Will was watchi

y whether you are dead or not. Wh

gain, but Will

d with two meters of earth, I shall not hesitate to

e. His face was as keen and

put you where he'd like to have y

oo. "You were right,

iority to the devils who knew so little mercy. It was simple inability in the last recourse to admit myself able to be their victim. Even my leg fel

the tide of our for

y we began to prosper-

d swift way that had ma

amazingly a

they burned the township refuse. Fred and Will went and watched them a while, contriving to slip a paper of snuff into Kazimoto's han

e even himself believe that a man who could speak and walk was dead, but he could be immensely enraged by what he was pleased to call my schweinspiel.* He cursed me in

e realize more than any other thing could have done what depths of despondency we must have plumbed, for hitherto, for as long as I had known Fred, he h

treatment meted out to us, based on no better grounds than our supposed possession of a secret. Laughter brought good hope. Hope gave us courage, and courage set Fred and Will hunting fo

ey climbed it, and discovered that from the summit they could see all Muanza harbor from the shore line to the island in the distance. Sitting

l me of the find, and sent Simba, Kazimoto's understudy, to find out whose the dhow was and why it l

smuggling. The dhow had been sold to pay his court fine, and was now owned by a Punjabi who had bought it as a speculatio

r purpose. I was already able to walk with the aid of a stick, although not fast enough to keep up with them, and curiosity taking hold

, and sat down on a stone beside it to consider a number of things. A convalescent man sitting beside his own grave may be forgiven for amusing

ut on a journey, leaving his "wife" in the care of the commandant; yet I looked up suddenly to see him standing on the other side of the grave with

?" he

odd

tood so close to the brink of death that th

ely. "How can the alread

lau

I watched you leave the camp from the top of that hill behind you, and followed.

koned without the professor and the fe

ugh I ordered them at once to stay by me they ran ba

el now?" the p

, wondering jus

without a

t, and unless there should happen to be some one hiding among the rocks at the foot of the hill behind me we w

d be a lesson to

been," I

ration," h

iod,"

asked maliciously. "

ckmail me. I would go into that grave ten time

avagely. His eyes glittered. He could scarcely find patience for argu

colonial life is far wo

could exist! The German Michael is wiser! Islam is the key to the native mind-Islam and the lash-they understand that! In a few years there will be n

t waste effort or words on prompting him, but sat still. My silence and apparent lack of curiosity

ain inquiries-sufficient to set the Sultan of Zanzibar by the ears. You left Zanzibar for Mombasa, and for some reason that you shall also tell me presently, Lord Montdidier did not leave the ship at Mombasa but continued the voyage toward London. Certain individuals decided that it would be better not to permit Lord Mon

es, depending on physical weakness so to undermine my will t

true, it meant most likely that he had been the victim of foul play, for that steamer was not scheduled to stop anywhere before reaching the Suez Canal. As for the people on the ship knowing

the ship?" he shoute

e, and laid a heavy clenched fist on my shoulder. It s

is doing now, or that grave shall rese

an I had guessed, or perhaps it was indignation at the touch of his fingers. At any rate he staggered clear of me, and I thought he would assault me now in

hidden. You imagine you can keep the secret. If you keep it, you shall never make use of it, my young friend! If you choose to tell, you shall be suitably rewarded! Come now-I thought you

as insolently as I knew how. I sa

l show

when we reached the D.O.A.G. he called for a hammock and some porters. Being carried in that way was sheer luxury after the walk in my weak state, and I lay bac

ly the military feared him, for when we passed the commandant, who was personally superintending the flogging of two natives in the market-place for not saluting himself, he took several paces forward to make sure Schillingschen should see his act of homag

planted in stately rows with meticulous precision. He kept far enough to one side to avoid the charge of

epeated two or three times. Then: "A native can always be made

lump of thick jungle behind it. Fear began to get its work in, until the thought came that what he most desired was to make me afr

turned inland with a hand on my arm to give me support and direction. We followed a path that was fairly well marked out and

we rounded a big rock and passed down a narrow glade in the jungle. "

rious, and walked be

e has noticed that the sleeping sickness is always at its worst beside the lake, and putting two and two together like

a trickle of water from a jumble of rocks at one end. At the other end the bottom of the pond sloped upward gradually, so that a ramp of smooth rock was formed, emerging out of shallow water. A s

he said,

dred crocodiles basking in the sun, their yellow eyes all open. They were aware of

post?" asked S

few yards above water level. The crocodiles all lay nose toward it, some of them twelve or fourteen fe

from about nine in the morning until five in the afternoon their senses are limited. Only occasionally do they come and take the bait between those hours. They are hungriest in the early morning

f appraisal I ever sickened under. I blenched at la

tened to that post from noon, say, un

ps to gloat over my discomfort, perha

h time to arrive

p, he began to gather loose stones and throw them at the reptiles, driving them down into deep water, first in ones

ked like a Zulu, for he had enormous thighs and the straig

hillingschen in German "Wa

th wide and made grima

ngschen

t-place!" he said, turning again toward me. "He and

ft of faded brown that out of the corner of my eye I detected zigzagging toward me in the direction from which we had come. A moment later I knew it really was

en. The professor stooped down to pat him, rubbed his ear a moment to get the dog's con

ade a rush at him. But he swung the yelpin

set his knee into the small of my back with such terrific force that I yelled with pain. Then Schillingschen approached me and began to

making straight for me, and there was no possibility whatever of his being able to scramble up the steep side. I shouted to call his attention, an

e." A blow landed on my head, cut my forehead, and sent the blood down into my eyes at the same moment that I heard the d

broken something, for he was strong as a gorilla; but somebody shouted-I recognized Fred's voice, and in another second he and Will charged down on us. Schillingschen turned about to strike Fred ins

in. Throw him! Nobody'll ever know! He'd have dared throw me in! No

ou fool!" g

throw that dog

aw him strike you. That's e

same stick he had used on me, but the plan died stillborn. Schillingschen b

nd I shoot you a

ed no time on explanations, but beckoned his Zulu and walked off, striding at a great pace

I recounting as fast as I could all that had happened, and

sisted. "He slept on my bed t

tched, while you rested, with proper flea-food for p

e chance of making use of me. As we emerged into the open we saw

Will. "I'll bet the

h-ache!"

prepare us a hot reception!

as I when no swift vengeance lit on them. We saw Schillingschen carried in the hammock up the steep path leading to the commandant's house; but no one came down again. After we got back to camp we spent all the rest of the day waiting for the vengeance we

id Will, "we could reach some islan

, that brought the pro

n?" I

abou

ey follow us

her got to spike the launch's boilers, or g

d a proposal to be taken seriously. The launch was the apple of t

n the next tent with less foreboding than at any time since reaching Muanza, and fell asleep to the tune o

ss black night by a hand on my bedclothe

some one. "Don't s

ibably, for a sick man's wits don't work swiftly

only hope left me! I have no friends in Muanza-and none whom I trust! Those Greeks and

you?" I ask

e. Her hand trembled, and the unsteady light threw baffling

sked, for it seemed to me that was one frien

t any longer! I have walked through the shadows from the commandant's house, only lighting this lantern after I was inside the hedge. Nobody knows I am

decided my tent was the best for the interview, because of the light that had burned in it nearly alw

ed him. "If they show signs of

the back of my tent, closed the tent up, and forega

id Fred, "we'd like s

ure is honest! I've no

n our implacable enemy

ur friend

y intend to take terrible steps to compel you! As for me-they have discovered that after all I know nothing, and am of no further use to them! They have not said so, but it is very clear to me how the land lies. Professor Schillingschen is drunk to-night; he came home with his car and mouth bleeding, and has plied the whisky bottle freely ever since until he fell asleep an hour and a half ago. He boasted ove

u propose?"

nch her fists. "Is it possible you told Professor Schillingschen yo

able to convince us, seized her next and she made such an excited gesture that the shawl she

use to them. If we were in British territory they would simply expose me to the British government and save themselves the trouble of ending my career. They did that to Mrs. Winstin Willoughby, and Lord James Rait, and fifty others; it was so easy to put incriminating evidence against them in the hands of the public prosecutor. Lord J

escaping?" Fred won

ck it will be to my doom! My one chance is to escape from their clutches-get into

ry and helping her out; but that was perhaps because I was a sick man, to

f the British courts passing a severe sentence on a spy. If you'll excuse my saying so, your story a

umsy, even for such bullies as they are! Do you suppose they could have dragged me down to this without some sword held over me? They can prove that I committed a crime in England several years ago. Oh, yes, I am a criminal! I raised a check. It was a check on a German bank, given to me by a G

of returning to British

t over you, they can de

world would listen to me. But if I can tell my story first, and confess about the check, and explain why the charge is likely to be brought against me, then there will be Downing Street officia

to me there was humor in his eye, but she only

me by my sister! If I should be suspected of writin

r to mail!" suggest

ve written since you came to Muanza lie in a drawer

t was going on behind that beard of Fred's. I had begun to suspect he was coming over to my way of

rnment?" he demanded, and sat with his jaw i

Why should I put myself

t?" ask

y thunder, and telling my story as your

Whatever I tell you is subject to their agreeing with me. The only condition on which I, for one, would consent to taking part with you in anything-after all our experience of y

ike a shot!" said

mea

thing!" Fr

t like these Germans, must h

dy Saffren Walden, is proof that you really do give us your confidence.

bs she hated to release. Suddenly she raised her head and glare

-I shall kill myself in such way that yo

t the best thing to do, but

us," he said. "We can discus

itish official who had power enough to shield her. She told it dramatically, in few words, wasting no breath on side-issues, and wit

ng the natives. That is the special duty of Professor Schillinschen. As soon as possible a great native army is to be trained, and thoroughly schooled in the fanatical precepts of Islam. But the German people are t

d more in earnest. Of one thing I was quite sure: she had found it worth her wh

ly to prevent your finding it, but to learn your secret? If rumor is one-half true, the Arab buried somewhere enough ivory to finance this plan of the

ss exhausted her more than the walk

red advised her. "W

divulge the secret of the ivory to his government in London. Oh, I tell you they stop at nothing! To-day London is the ivory market of the world, but they have their arrangements made for transferring that center of trade to Hamburg! They mean first to crush competitors, and then monopolize! They hope the ivory is in this cou

h East without the government knowing,

il they are ready to bring pressure to bear on England diplomatically to induce her to make almost any bargain of that kind that the Germans want. They are even willing to concede to England the whole of Abyssinia, which nobody owns yet, and to back her up against the cl

prove all this?

lizes that I know his secrets and have none of my own to tell, so he hopes to send me to my doom at the hands of the government I have betrayed too many times! What is the use of my pretending to be better than I am? I am a spy-a traitress-a divorced woman with worse than no reputation! I am not a person likely to be shown m

suggested Fred. "Exactly

passion, demanding the immediate arrest and close confinement of all three of you. He was only persuaded to wait a few days longer because a runner has come in with word that the bodies of several Masai whom you shot on this side of the German border have been found! The bones-the bullets found among the bones-and cartridge cases th

e at each of us.

th reservati

be a fool! Don't fritter t

a friend in the jail

? Leave him! H

the chain-gang. Hi

grateful. They don't see things from the white man's standpoint. They don't expect ideal

f porters," Fred contin

ers, our man Kazimoto,

mad! You

answered kindly. "Those are our conditions. We will n