Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 169: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

. e. a We + ate: apparently remained unaware of them. At length Yamala, the witch-doctor, made his adieux and rose, leaving the presents upon the ground to be collected by his people. ‘Well, what did he say?” demanded the | doctor. ; “Tn this case, Doctor, I have considered jt inexpedient to obey you.” PB you!” — | “T wish to remind the doctor that I have _ lived and traded among such savages as these for a period of fifteen years; therefore it is to be presumed that I may possibly be permitted to be better acquainted with them and their minds than the doctor.” “Possibly, Ali, but—well, this confounded beating about the bush irritates me.” “The doctor will permit me to remark © ~ that, if he persists in applying the Occi- dental attitude to the Oriental mind, the chance of gaining the desired information, economical and social, will be considerably diminished thereby.” | “Youre a dear!” exclaimed the little doctor, showing his teeth in a grin. “But —all right, Ali, go your own way, but for. heayen’s sake don’t mull it.” “As Allah wills!” observed Ali and turned his bronze Arab-Somali features toward the two tusks, appraising them with bright experteyes. “Have you remarked, Doctor, the exceptional generosity of the chief? These tusks are considerably over one hundred pounds each and therefore, at the present market-price, of value considerably over one hundred guineas. Neéver have I known any of these savage chiefs to recom- -pense a stranger so disproportionately to the value of the present bestowed. Never, Doctor.” “All right, Ali; so much the better for you. Keep ’em, my boy; only don’t forget _ to pump my ancient medical colleague.” ’ “A thousand thanks to you, Doctor,” _ said Ali, salaaming. “I will assuredly en- deayor to recompense you to the best ability.” - “Oh, shut up, Ali. I like you, but you’re a bore sometimes. Hi, Yamagulu, whisky soda. Upesil” . - IT B VIOLET twilight stained with green died hurriedly, leaving the dented _Moon as if battered with the bore- _chiliads to gaze incuriously ocosmical contortions. : a. - & — P - % * s From the m4 - ’ 1e Tree ‘6p Life 4s 159 village of Basayaguru rose continuously, like puffs of invisible steam from an engine- exhaust, the rhythm of a drum above the murmur of the forest and the swirl of the river in the sulky air. Like the red eye of a familiar, winking in masonic import to old Yamala, the witch- doctor, squatting like an idol carved in ebony, was the glow of the little doctor’s cigar as he sat in the doorway of his tent in the lee of the greenwood fire. Half in shadow beside him was Ali, his robes a volume of carven turquoise supporting the dignity of his turbaned head, a cameo in lazulite. “Now, Ali,” said the doctor, “it’s really about time you got to business. We've had a week of this fooling. We've got a general * idea of the supply of ivory and that your confounded people ruined the vine rubber ages ago. But we could have got that almost anywhere. Now try to find out exactly what is the basis of their cult— whether it is the same in this part as down- country. Understand?” “Tt most usually is so, Doctor,” responded “Well, but you don’t know. I want facts, not suppositions.”’ “T still venture to doubt whether the moment be expedient yet,’’ objected Ali tonelessly. “Do as I tell you, confound you!” “‘The Occidental and the Oriental ——” “Shut up!” “Very good, Doctor. But you will please note that I do not take the responsi- bility. Tobey.” As tonelessly as an oracle Ali spoke fluently to the old man Yamala, who at length replied as monotonously. “The witch-doctor states that they have a goddess who dwells in the woods.” “Well?” “Please to contain your most natural emotions,” reproved Ali. “It is not the custom of the Orien f “Oh, the Orient!” “Please to be patient,” remonstrated Ali a began anew to talk with the witch-doc- or. The old man rumbled on in periods, punc- tuated by assenting grunts from Ali. The doctor fished his cigar and lighted an- other. Yet still the two voices blended as if in a liturgy to the rhythmic throb of the single drum and the faint anthem of the nace ip — . * oe ™. at “<< - : s