The Leopard Woman

es. The wall of mountains was now nearer. Through his glasses Kingozi could distinguish rounded foothills. He tried to make out whether certain dark patches were groves or pa

on they might be a day's or

attention was arrested. A thread of smoke, barely distinguishable

s approach: "Look through the glasses and tell me w

he naked eye. He caught the location of the smoke almost at o

se, _bwana_,

s imagination to diminish in size and to move forward. They had assured a d

far?" h

lied Simba gravely, "ele

l informed, it seemed unlikely that she could expect to make the whole distance from the last camp to the mountains in one march. Therefore there must be another water between. In that case,

the gentle slopes of the kopjes, each steering by the man ahead, and Kingozi steering by the stars. The veldt was still, as though all the silences, driven from those portions inhabited by the be

blazed. The country remained the same in character. Behind them the kopje dwindled in importan

is wrist, he called the first halt. The men laid down their

. But this was different. Kingozi rigidly adhered to the plan for all forced marches of this kind: three hours, a half-hour's rest;

must rest oftener, they go on with ever- increasing difficulty. The strong men ahead become impatient and push on. The safari is no longer a coherent organization, but

ought for the morrow, and very little for the day. If it is h

its illusions succeeding one another momently as the successive veils of heat waves shimmered upward. Reflected heat scorched his face. His spirit retired far into its fastness, taking with it all his energies. From that withdrawn inner remoteness he doled out the necessary vitality parsimoniously, drop by drop. Deliberately he withdrew his attention from the unessentials. Not a glance did he vouchsafe to the prospect far or near; not a thought did he permi

ground. Then in the relaxation his intellige

trongly enough. The first squad shouted ridiculing little jokes at them; and they shrieked back spirited repartee, whacking their loads vigorously with their safari sticks. These, too, would cause no anxiety. But then Kingozi sat up and began to take notice. The men dri

and he had shifted his closed umbrella to his left hand and held the _kiboko_ in his right. At the fifth rest period five of th

rom an immense discouraging distance, they towered imminent. It seemed that a half-hour's easy walk should take them to

allow at a time. His tongue was slightly swollen. The sun had him to a certain extent; so that,

oice; and brought

n the ground. Kingozi followed the direct

armlets of polished iron, long, ropy hair--a typical _shenzi_. Hi

Maulo, the camp jester, hurled a facetious comment at the corpse. Thereupon all the rest laugh

now the duty of each man to get in if he could. It was Kingozi's duty to

e men in the last extremity of thirst and exhaustion, their eyes wide and vacant, their tongues

llmell, anyhow; so that Kingozi concluded they had been surreptitiously

lso they passed more men, gaunt, incredibly cadaverous, considering that only the day before they had been strong and well. They sat or lay inert, watching the safari pass, their eyes apathetic. Kingozi paid no attention to them

shallow dry streambed and saw the

determination and defiance. The Nubian squatted beside her. Men lay scattered all abo

proached, his experienced eye reg

ud, her eyes flashing the lightnings, her lips scar

ake them! It is death for them here, but all they will d

feet and drew an

cried. "Take your

of savage people. Without further parley she fired. Although the distance was short, she missed, the

d. An authority, heretofore latent,

he com

stance to circumstances broke. She hurled the automatic pistol at the

her no furt

!" he

s,

find water. Fill all the bottles and bring them back. There are people in the hills. T

to accompany him, but this

hat man,"

ers started away. Kingozi gave his atte

ttitudes. But one thing was co

_memsahib?_" Kingozi as

time. Finally the man who

are very tired. We cann

et water if yo

at is not my affair." He brooded on the ground for a space then looked up. "It is the business of porters to carry loads; it is the business of the white man to take care of the porters." And in that

rd Woman bitterly. "What c

ed toward her

ncy, whether you had ever tried your men? Your work was done smartly and well--be

rejoined. "And you are exasperat

o," replied K

Mali-ya-bw

ese _shenzi

not eloquent, nor did it flatter the

the elephant. Nothing causes him to be afraid. He is not foolish, like a woman. He knows the water

ion was finished Kingozi

loads to

tirred a

s of Bibi-ya-chui--

safari who were now present brought their loads up

es. "The water is not far, but the day is nearly

them march with loads! He knew! He was a great lord, and wise, as Mali-ya-bwana had said! One or two arose wearily and stiffly, and dragged their loads to th

watched proceedings without comment for some time.

nced. "Leave that one out. And tha

ox in a space left for it, and piled the two tent load

x----" s

litely, "but it will really be im

ensable to me," she

a load: and mine will need all the str

ing the loads und

tent," she said, as

not tak

direct. Kingozi's weary, slow indifference fell from him. In one bound he faced h

lly. Understand? I do not know how far you intend to travel--or where; but if you value your

not dare!"

again the slow-moving, slouching, in

one. Left to yourselves you are all going to die here. If I am to help you to your feet, I must do it without i

rather die here than accept your

were a new thought. "I wasn't thinking esp

ning the lanterns. Everything seemed now ready for the start. Al

left?" Kingozi ask

, refusing to answer. Unperturbe

_memsahib'

i shook them, and found them empty. His own contained still about a pint,

occasionally using the _kiboko_ he had taken from one of the _askaris_. At last all were under way. The Leopard Woman sat still on the load, the Nubian crouched at her back. The long, straggling, staggering file of men crawled up the dry bank and disappeared one by one over the top. Each figure for a moment was silhouetted against the sky, for the sun was low. Kingozi toiled up the

with a fairly demoniac fury. Then a mask of bla