The Keepers of the King's Peace

oussas had two responsibilities

rn had been born Tibbetts, christened Augustus, an

of ocean--as far, in fact, as the Coast is from Bradlesham Thorpe in the County of Hampsh

proval, for he did not realize that in bringing his two responsibilities face to face he was not

g the beach and gazing solemnly upon Militini's riotous joy. Mr. Commissioner Sanders, C.M.G., had given her a more formal welc

ave beautiful figures displayed without art and with very little adornment, are apt to regard any white woman with regular features as pretty, when the vision co

iage and gait which is the peculiar possession of her country-women. Her face was a

eyes and mouth alike you read a tenderness beyond disguise. She had a trinity of admirers: her brother's

slammed the door of his hut and had steadfastly declined all manner o

thing in his attitude suggestive of the deepest respect and the profoundest regard for that paragraph of King's Regu

asked Hamilton, after the

knew--"thank you, sir, it is about the same. My temperature is--or was--up to one hundred and four,

tiffin," inv

ure preliminary to

fficer to me before this contretemps wrecked my young li

n ass," beg

ion, one of those jolly old adventures where a feller takes his

," said Hamilton, cutting s

ones hollowly, and

roaned Hamilton at tiffin. "The fact is, Pat, your a

the window, and stood looking out over the y

ll on Bones," sh

s!" murmur

the peg behind the door and adjusted it carefully. Then

ed Hamilton, "but we've never succeede

rs la

if she didn't whistle

uits, no less than the remnants of a box of chocolates, indicated that anchorite a

bout five cents net. And as day by day passed and no news came of him--as how could it when his habitation was marked by a cairn of stones?--she would grow anxious and unhappy. And presently messengers would co

pardon, and the tears would well up in her beautiful grey eyes--as they were

wee

wn with fever, and she would want to c

, but oh, so bravely, "tell her

wee

immediately above his head. A song bird was a rare visitor to

never see him again, never know

ee--

emphatic, and he half tu

mp forehead, for leaning on the window sill, her lips pur

his eyes

y!" she said, and Bo

ur wretched little hut when you ought to be crawlin

said n

l, shaking her head reprovingly,

nded his b

he said

alm, driven by an arm toughened by a long acquaintance with

ld Miss Hamilton," he

Bones," she mimicked him. "You o

" begged Bones magnanimously. "And now that I see

and and caught the girl's in

t love affair. She was an excellent listener, and seldom interrupted him save to ask if there was any insanity in his

wondered Sanders, watching the confidences fro

e and how he saved the territories from rebellion. He's also begging h

up a most immodest recital of his accom

of this to come to your jolly old brother's ears. He's an awfully good sort, but naturally in com

our adventures?" she asked innocent

ed with gr

t a pity it doesn't run in the family! I'll tell yo

," she

looked

isher," he whispered, and stepped ba

ere dancing with delight, and Bones realized

write books," she sighed. "I've tri

my case----"

our hand and imagine all sorts of things," s

Bones earnestly. "Not fiction ... but all

m?" she

Bones, louder t

she

f. "If you and I are going to be good frien

" She turned on him so fi

id feebly; "play the g

oep and deposited him in the

to be anything but a sla

ss Hamilton revealed the fact that she favoured th

ed that he wa

at you're a Nonconformist?

ss Hamilton," said Bones. "I'd have gone into

suggeste

ed--or if I was I was out--haw-haw! That's a r

aid the girl; "you mus

ions. In self-defence Bones, with only the haziest idea of the doctrine he de

ersisted, "if I ask

hook hi

ver do--alter the faith of my distant but happy youth, or listen t

. "I can see that you don't like me as I thou

rs sm

see," he added apologetic

ricia, and fle

crossed to his chief

" he said

are you doing?"

ld Excellency and sir," murmured Bone

ette ring that Sanders threw with unerring a

came into the Residency to find Bones engaged in mas

at promised to be a mo

de to the upper wa

on jum

?" he sai

rs no

a little too enthusiastic a Christian, and Ahmet has been sending some queer reports. I've been putting off the

Bones, leave your needlework

chair, his elbows on

s Drake said when th

te beggar!" commanded Hamilton,

ut there was the launch, a light-draught boat w

he'd be pretty sure to smash her up. Miss Hamilton will hav

ggestion, brushing aside all objections. T

she was beside

ng?" she asked breathless

ok his head

ith in old Bones. When you see the battle swayin' an' it isn't certain which

rupted Hamilton, "and not his large fee

utter a scandalous libel, Bones

point of starting when Ham

er, who has an awfully keen sense of humour, would dearly love to see you at the helm of the _Wiggle_, but as

himself u

"I cannot think that you wish to spea

ur head," said Hamilton. "That

with the air of an early Christian martyr, "and a

ng you any commands, I'm merely making a sensible suggest

cheery old sir," said Bones, "and I'm not likely at

o an unprofessional eye they were packed very well indeed, but Bones had them turned out and packed _his_ way. When that was done, and it was obvious to the meanest int

osition of the stores as Bones had found them when he came to the boat. When everybody was re

now?" asked Sanders weari

s, with a salute to his supe

ottle and your hair-curlers?"

f making a most undignified sprawl or clutching a very hot smoke-stack. He chose the latter, recovered his balance with an easy grace, punctiliously saluted the tiny flag of t

n the brief space

ree, "if you'd only broken your infernal h

She had run up the beach, and it was necessary to unload th

ou ready?" s

said Bones, aba

*

which affected his honour. It affected his life eventually, since his relative was found one morning dead of

ic missionaries, and had spent an uncomfortable youth mastering certain mysterious rites and ceremonies. His brother-in-law had been in the blessed service

pletely the faith into which they were newly admitted. The advantage lay with the Catholic converts because they were given a pewter medal with hearts and sunlike radiations engraved thereon

fallen and ashamed, being obliged to admit that A'lamo was an invisible magic which (they stoutly affirm

ovator of ritual, found amusement in watching the Baptist missionari

erican Baptist Mission, and to his intense amazement had been suddenly fl

nders, who had arrived at the junction of the Isisi and the N'gomi ri

theirs; and say no evil word to white men for these are very quick to anger.

in heaven all men are a

e hold our places by our merits. To-morrow I come to your village to inquire int

curious religion, the ritual of which was only half revealed to the good Jesuit fathers when at a great palaver which Bucongo summoned to exhibit his converts, the Church service was interspe

ove that this enthusiastic Christian had gone systematicall

der than the Jesuits might have hesitated to tackle

ed when, in his anger, he took canoe, and travell

and brawny of arm, listened in the shade of

puts shame upon me because I am a cross-God man,

perturbed sheep of hi

beasts. Those which fly and which swim; those that run swi

ght but are of differe

arpentie

nd, and have the same business. Yet God put it into the little heads of one to climb trees, and of the other to burrow dee

g Bucongo ro

re too much for a poor man. I think I

es of ghost dances in the forest and a certain Bucongo who is the leader of these--

face twisted and puckered with rage, and tur

to Sanders bearing an urgent letter, and Sanders r

he deck, to find Hamilton fishing over the

rong?" he a

of his religious meetings and have been a little worried--there wi

nes says there are any number of egrets'

frowne

he said. "That is Bucongo's territ

r Bucongo?" asked H

was not feel

*

ore the most fantastic religious assembly th

left the light-draught _Wiggle_ half a mile down stream owing to the shoals

ssionizing Chief of the Lesser Isisi so frequently held, Bones stood on the outer fringe of the c

n _beti_ who glared with his one eye upon the devout gathering. The novice lay rigid,

as a fire of wood in whic

e, but around the mitre was bound a strip of skin from which was suspended a circle of dangling monkey tails. For cope

to take the red branding-iron when the girl at Bones's side, with a little gasp of horror, broke into the circle, and wre

" she demanded breathlessly,

ut said nothing; then h

aised his hand to the salute; something that boiled and bubbled madly and set his shallow brain afire, something that was of his ancestry, wild, unreasoning, brutish

efore Bucongo, his feet and hands tied with native

e disadvantage of being unable to understand the light flow of

"you see me as a god--I have

nish with you, Bu

the other with easy confidence,

the vernacular, "and their widows are wive

vealed to me that many shall follow me. Now you and the woman shall be the first of all white people to bear the mark of Bucongo

is mouth was dry. He scarcely d

ice. Bones hesitated, and then haltingly

no

me alone upon the chest, and upon the back. For if we be branded separately we are bound to one another, and you see how ugly this

oubt. Truly the woman by all standards was very ugly. Her face was white a

s do not do evil things, and it would be bad to marry me t

was un

white men. If it be true, then I will mark you twice, Tibbetti,

oh!" sa

g--will he let us g

and he was sayin' that he couldn't think of hurtin' a char

go was coming towards them, a blazing iron in his hand, a s

essing to you, Tibbetti,

his teeth

lk shirt when a voice hailed the

ngo," i

and cringed backward before the leve

his even tone, "can such a ma

ongo huskily, "I

see," sa

*

ht that the girl had recovered suffici

shed brother. "You were standing in the wood listening to

Sanders. "I wanted to see how f

murmured Bones under h

and earnestly then turn

e talked to that horrible man? Do you know that Bones was scowling at me as

at the awning, and

old sir and brother-o

---" bega

all of a twitter. "_Esprit de corps_

d at his subor

in order that you might not be

Bones, and her eyes

little catch in her voice, "

ly, and wept a little at the real