Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 224: what you’re looking at

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

AN AFRICAN SECRET. eyes and, failing to keep his own gaze steady, stared about him _ vacantly while he seemed at loss for words. “ Did you think something had hap- pened to me, Mr. Murdock?” Brad- shaw asked. “I feared—Oh! I feared—but it matters nothing. You are alive and al! will perhaps be well.” “What was it you feared?” insisted Bradshaw; “I must know, Mr. Mur- dock.” The old man looked around him helplessly. “ That food,” he stammered almost inaudibly; “after I got back to the town J—I discovered that there was something wrong with it. An enemy meant mischief for me. I feared you had eaten .it.”’ “TI thought you said you prepared it yourself.” “T—I did. The stuff was put in while my back was turned. What did you do with it, Elmer? ” The old man’s dishonesty was so pal- pable that Bradshaw was hard put to it | to refrain from denouncing him; but Murdock was Irene’s father! “ Before I could eat it,” he answered, “the cub got at it. You see how it served him,” and he pointed to the dead beast. Murdock appeared to be terribly shocked. “ Awful!” he whispered; “ Oh! Eimer! you didn’t suspect me? ”’ “How could I suspect you, Mr. Murdock? ”’ The old man looked this way and that, spatted his hands together in the most nervous fashion, and shifted rest- lessly on his feet. Ever and again his eyes met Bradshaw’s, but not to linger in a steady glance. In his own eyes there gleamed that low kind of cunning that overreaches itself and is easily discovered. Brad- shaw noted it and was more and more repelled, but his mission in Africa was to save this man, and he held himself firmly to the purpose. 215 “The fear of what might have hap- pened to you has upset me completely,” whined Murdock, “ but it is well now. Where have you placed your men? ” ‘Where they can resist attack better. than here,’”’ Bradshaw replied without indicating the direction. He wanted to ask Murdock further about the poisoned cake; why he had not returned as soon as he discovered that there was something wrong with it? Why he had waited till morning ? Why, then, he approached a friendly camp so cautiously, and other obvious questions that could not fail to confuse the old man and involve him in a mesh of contradictions if he should continue his deceit. But not only was Bradshaw re- strained by sentiment from convicting his sweetheart’s father of abominable crime, but there was a deeper question the answer to which could be gained only by patient observation. Having once attempted to kill the man who came to help him, why should Mur- dock now be so anxious to know that he was alive? | The answer came by inference much sooner than Bradshaw could have hoped it would. “You gave me a scare about the tribe, you know,” he added to his reply to Murdock’s question, preferring that the old man should think that the lie about the cake hhad been accepted as truth. “Yes, I remember,” said Murdock, “and I want to tell you more about the tribe. I want to go with you now, Elmer, if you will take me with you?” “T came to Africa to find you and take you home,” Bradshaw responded ; “T have told you that [ should not start back without you. I stand by that.” Murdock’s extreme nervousness continued to manifest itself in weak gestures and quavering voice, but he spoke more connectedly and rapidly. “ It is most fortunate,” said he, “ that I did not stay with you as you asked me to last night, fer samediirey fas as CO