Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

- «es - 162 non-committally, a process which led one to suppose that he was innocent of every crime as well as virtue that the black mind could conceive, The only articulate sentence elic- ited was an order to a slave to send the white chief another present of a large tusk of ivory, The doctor regarded the tusk in y. “‘What’s the meaning of this?” he de- manded of Ali, ‘We can’t possibly make return presents of anywhere near the value of these three tusks and the small ones.’ What do you think he’s after? My Ex- Sy Because he won't get that, natu- rally.” “Allah only knows.” “Oh!” The doctor plucked savagely at his beard. “Ali, I ask what you think, not what Allah thinks.” “Tt is impossible to state, Doctor. Never have I witnessed such exquisite generosity from a native negro.” The little doctor returned to the camp, feeling, as he remarked to Ali, that there was something in this confounded country that would make a saint irritable. And, as he retired beneath the mosquito-net for a siesta, he grinned at the recollection of the sage advice based on theoretical knowledge he had given to clients about to leave for the tropics, to guard against irritation and liquor. During the hottest hours, when man and beast and bird, but not woman, made obeisance to the sun, the heart-throb of the drum continued mercilessly until the doctor in his sudorific bath struggled with an im- pulse to seize his Express and make an end of the tormentor. : At about four he suddenly grabbed the gun and, summoning Yamagulu, decided that he would seek something upon which he could wreak his exasperation. Yama- gulu very naturally protested that neither bird nor beast would be stirring before the cool of the sinking sun, but the little doctor felt that in such a country to thrust forward reason was positively indecent and as in- congruous as a Socratian debate in a lunatic asylum. In the village not a body stirred. Unno- ticed they selected the small canoe and em- barked. The doctor directed the sullen Yamagulu to paddle down-stream along the bank until they should find fairly solid ground to land. About half a mile away, as they coasted just outside the guardian swamp, he perceived a narrow passage in hauling brought them within the rie great trees and upon fairly solid earth had obstinately made up his mind that he wanted distraction from the deadly ennui of the village. Farther on they struck with his spear down the grove. failed to distinguish anything in the tangle of grass and bush. Then, just as he was about to whisper, he det part of a bush that seemed to move. Slowly the form of some large animal. ing for the region of the heart, the doctor fred. A convulsive motion of the bush, and there leaped forth a big buck, high in the shoul- ders and dappled like forest light and shadow. Again the doctor fired. The beast swerved to the right and disap Yamagulu raced forward. The doctor followed and ~ found him beside the buck. The first shot had been a fluke; striking the animal in the quarters as it had turned to flee, the bullet had lodged in the spine, killing it instantly. ““Okapi!” gasped the exultant doctor. But, as he stooped; Yamagulu,-grinning delightedly, drew his attention to a broad spoor through the dense grass which ten yards from the kill was streaked with blood, revealing that in all probability the mate was severely if not mortally wounded... Ex- citedly the doctor bade Yamagulu to stay and skin the slain animal and hurried off on the trail. ; . The beast was big and evidently bleeding heavily; so the spoor was easy to follow even for a white man. On panted the doctor, forgetful, as ever a hunter is, that time after all is an arbjtrary affair. The ground rose steadily, The going became better at every > a > cbooks.com ? comi