The Keepers of the King's Peace
nd they have a weakness for destroying things to discover the secrets of volition. A too prosperous nation mystifies less fortunate people, who demand of their elders and rulers some solut
ry is filled with fierce communities, banded together against a common enemy--the law. They call this land the B'wigini
, the very famous K'sungasa, "very famous," since he had been in his time a man of remarkable g
taken him a long journey into the forest he loved so well, and they would have put out his eyes and left him to the mercy of the beast
him to the care of his dearest friends, for he had an affinity for the wild dw
ng and fluttering to his hand. He could call the shy little monkeys from the high branches where the
overridden, and since there was no other method of treating the blind but that prescribed by precedent, he should be allowed to live in a grea
n the balance, he sent word to the chief's nephews that he was somewhere in the neighbourhood, and that the revival of the bad old custom of blinding would be followed by the introduction of the b
e fact that there came a period of famine, when crops were bad and fish was scarce, and when, remarkably enough, the village of L'bini, dis
men and burnt a few huts. For two hours the combatants pranced and yelled and thrust at one another amidst a pandemonium of screaming wom
was sent to the Village of Irons for the term of his natural life. O'ka, who ha
able days in the village of Jumburu, came bac
r with Bones?" ask
er her book, but off
at?" demanded H
d Bones were a source of constant joy to him. Taciturn and a thought dour as he was, Pat would never have suspected the bubbl
have a feud,"
rs sm
ud as O'ka and I hav
ttle and looked
the threats of the people y
too expensive an affair. He has apparently settled with the B'wigini people. If t
ask him,
came next day, when B
credulously. "Leave, Bones? What
mrod before the office table at
affairs, sir,"
sted Hamilton. "Your life is an open book--y
young life. My word, sir, has been called into doubt by your jolly old
leg!" suggested Hamilton,
bt in _re_ leopards an' buffaloes. I'm goin' out, sir, into the wilds--amidst dangers, Ham, old feller, that onl
ry beautiful in dazzling white, with her solar h
saying to Bones?" as
sai
aid-
and finishe
a tell-tale," a
on't spare me. I'm a liar an' a th
elieve he shot the leopard--th
rcasm, "I didn't shoot it--oh, no!
u shoot it?
old Ham?" asked Bone
sked Hamilto
liberately, "an' was he found next mornin' cold
nd Bones faced the
e, child,
," she replied, with some heat.
led to he
ked from one
ard was found-
dear old sister
as found, with a sp
by a wanderin' cad of a nati
d the girl, and Bones shrug
e was certainly beyond human aid, and though no bull
d Bones. He had seen out of the tail of hi
o produce scientific
Bones went to the door of the
ence of one who enjoyed the confidence of dear old Profes
n figure, salaame
se of his master had driven him to service with a lieutenant of Houssas. His v
remember m
shaking his head,
" asked Bones. "Tell
ed to t
exhibited by Sir Bones--was particularly ferocious, and departed this life as a result of hunting conducted by aforesaid. Examination of subject after demise under most scientific
y?" asked Bone
ped the girl, "that you _frig
out his hands
e, dear old sister," he sai
d laughed until her grey e
you humbug!"
y than ever, stuck his monocle in
r," he said, "that m
his heel, knocked over Hamilton's stationery rack, s
the next morning, she found
ed to this phenomenon. Bones was an artist, and so small a m
p in bed and r
IEND AND DOU
was always perfect
penetrate to the lares of the wild beasts of the forest, of the forest. I am determined to wipe out the reproach which you have made. I will bring back, not a dead leppard, not a dead lep
r fr
B
nes is learning to spell. It only seems yesterday when he was spellin
to the door," said
were near enough to the B'wigini to resent overmuch discipline. But his business was with K'sungasa, for the two days' stay which Bones
He lay on a fine raised bed, a big yellow-eyed wild cat at his feet, a monkey or two shivering by the bedside, and a sprawling litter
an, "I see you! This is a good tim
about for the snake which was usually coiled round the old ma
never see flood and only little-little rivers. Now, I tell you, lord, that I am glad to die, because I
errand, and the old
ny beautiful leopards by my magic. Now, because I love Sandi, I will
boiled in an earthen vessel, produced, by a rough method of distillation, a most pun
nd in the Territories, as also is a small plant which has all the properti
ht back the right plant. Fortunately it was seed-time, and once he was on the right tra
f his retort, a fault sweet aroma filled the hut. First the cat, then the monkeys began to show signs of extraordinary agitation. Cat and kittens cro
, squirrels, a long black snake with spade-shaped head and diamond markings, little bush hares,
eble fingers to them; but their eyes were on the retort and the cr
*
before the Residency and focussed th
muzzled and held in leash by a chain affixed to a stout collar, and
d you catch him?
ugged his
e which invariably came to him when he was excited. "I'm not goin' to speak of myself. If you expect me to tell you
his lair?" demanded Hamilt
tters," evaded Bones tactfully. "Here are the goods
mechanically, and the cub look
nderful fellow," sa
s bo
ll excuse me, I'll take my l
ff the chain. Even Sanders stepped back and dropped his
marched off to his hut, and the gre
adventure yet. He would go out under the admiring eyes of Patricia Hamilton, and would retu
seed. As a matter of fact, his secret would have been out the moment he entered San
hen a dark figure rose from the gro
aside. A hand clutched at his jacket, but he wrenched h
d there was nothin
ng out to the darkness of the ve
and fired twice. One man fell, the oth
at the far end of the square. Sanders saw a
s blundered Ali Abid, h
) has divested muzzlement and proper restraint
e ground before the Residency, so close that th
ed Bones. "Hi, st
the flying man came a
came and washed away the scent of crude aniseed, Bones dared not leave his hut by night for fear of the strange be