Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

AN AFRICAN SECRET. * TI see the danger, Pan, but it beats me why this fellow should have been so set on killing me. He talked a lot of rubbish about the sacred place.” ‘“T heard most of it and I do not un- derstand it. We may find out before we go much further.” Bradshaw was deeply impressed by Pan’s seriousness. Never given to any- thing but gravity of demeanor, Pan nevertheless was not inclined to worry. Up to this time he had met all the emergencies of the journey with un- moved calmness, as if all that could happen in Africa was an old story to him. Now he was thoroughly dis- turbed, and so intent was his anxiety to ’ reach the caravan before the savages could make an attack, that Bradshaw refrained from asking about his ap- parent desertion. All energy was bent to making prog- -ress through the forest, and to such good purpose that they came upon the carriers within three hours after. their retreat from the gully. Nothing had happened at the camp, and before any move was made, rest and refreshment were absolutely neces- sary to the American and Pan. They ordered their pickets to take posts fur- ther than usual away, and while they were eating, Pan told his share in the events at the gully, CHAPTER IV. A MEETING IN THE WILDS. “It is a common thing in Africa,” Pan began, “to use a tree in execu- tions. I knew what had happened al- most as soon as I saw the man’s body flying through the air, but I did not then guess and do not know now what led to it. I only know that it must have been something serious.” “T wonder,” Bradshaw -remarked, whether it was as serious as my walk- ing innocently ito that sacred hole in ‘the ground? ” “Very likely,” responded Pan, grave- ‘white man had been before. 20I ly, “ but in any case it meant that the tribe was in an excited condition, and therefore dangerous to approach. I knew that men would be sent up to learn what had become of the body, for usually the thong holds and the victim is left swaying at the tree top. I be- lieved it would be dangerous for us to be found looking at the body, but there was another reason that came to me very suddenly. “It is said that somewhere in Africa is a tribe that is exceedingly rich in such things as black men prize. Many wild stories are told about this tribe. They say the king has hundreds of wives who are bought at high prices all over the continent; that the chief men have many things that are made in distant countries ; and that they are so power- ful that no nation has ever beaten them in battle. “What makes them so rich nobody can say, but it 1s believed that they kill every stranger who enters their terri- tory, and that no one ever has escaped them. This may explain how they pos- sess things that were made in your country, or in Europe, but I am telling you only what I have heard. It may not amount to anything.” “Do you think this is the tribe?” asked Bradshaw. “IT do not say so even now,” replied Pan, cautiously, “but that thought came to me when we were looking at the dead man’s body. There is so much mystery about this tribe I speak of that some have declared that it does not exist. No one has ever been able to say where its chief town lies. The most that has been said has been to point to the interior with the words ‘ many months’ journey.’ “We have come a long distance. We have crossed countries where no The lan- guage of these people—I heard them speaking together at the tree—is strange to me; that is, most of it. though I think [ could males. mrvsell understood by them.”9— OOKS CO