Sanders of the River

that beyond the farthermost forests, beyond the lazy, swelling, blue sea, there were men and women who lived in house

in spirits. When you deal in the abstract with government of races so infl

le native provinces wisely, and that

er types, as,

nce, and had acquired in a methodical fashion a working acquaintance with Swaheli, bacteriology, and medicines. He was a very grave young man, and the first night of his arrival he kept Sanders (fu

f polite interest, and despatched the young man and his tremendo

he taught them, through the medium of Swaheli-which they imperfectly understood-and a tin kettle, the lesson of steam. They understood the kettle part, but could not quite comprehend what m

for cannibals have very good manners-though

in more huts than one he was regarded and worshipped as a Great and Clever Devil-which in a sense he was. But the first time he came up against the spirit of the people, his science, his law, and his

about in

hen Mr. Torrington heard of this prophecy he was amused, and at first took no notice of it. But it occurred to him that here mi

arge sectional

bed of t

eight of

imum rise o

ry; and demonstrated as plainly as poss

ved on the scene. He sent for the prophet, who was a young man of neurotic tendencies, and h

he river rises you must prophesy that it will f

wn the prophet and prove his words. But the river at this season of the year was stead

l, he took up sleeping sickness, and put in three months' futile work, impressing nobody save a gentleman

croup, and Torrington came flying down the river telling Sanders a rambling st

nusually quiet, and Bosambo, the Monrovian, of whom I have written your Excellency, makes a model chief for the Ochori. No thefts have been traced to him for three months. I should

at a member of this expedition had been one of the mos

McPherson every day of the year except on Yum Kippur, when he frankly admitted that he had been born Isaacs-the question of good company titles came up, and Mr. McPherson said he had had the "Isisi Exploitation" in his mind for many

der to particularly

f concession from him. It would have to be done on the quiet, because the country is a British Protectorate. Now, if we could g

oung gentleman, who, on the strength of once having nearly shot a lion in Ugan

is duty would be the obtaining of the concession, he gladly financed the syndicate to the extent of seven thousand pound

sand were earmarked

Pherson t

e on velvet, my boy," w

ed, McPherson offere

ar of that dam' Commissioner Sanders.

his is not my first visit to Africa. Did I e

later h

ing the green path to death-but this he did not know. He threw his face to the forest, as the natives say, and l

dergrowth was flecked with sunlight, and, indeed, the green pa

mbi, a very good old man, went out to the

, where all manner of devils live. Night brings remorse,

se Bomongo talk was nil, grinned impatientl

be bad place, no good; he s

agstaff, ask him where the rubber is, see? Tell him we know all about

vily built, and under his broad sun-h

no rubber within seven days' journey, and that we do not

omment. "Get these beggars moving, F

ir loads uncomplainingly. They were good carriers, as c

, using his stick dispassionately up

, "why he calls this the r

an shook

he devils," h

ss!" bellowed Cuthbert a

path because of its very smoothness, and the only drawback lay in the fact that it seemed to be the breedin

apai cloth; none the less, there were times when these black flies found joints in his armour and roused him to anger. This path extended t

n and an interpreter, and in due course he reached his objective, which was the village of a great chief ruling a remarkable province-Bosambo, of the Ochori, no less; so

his interpreter, "that I am p

r in the vernacular, "this white

e," said

dignity of an ambassador, "that I have

said the interpreter carefully, "as I am the only man who can speak for you, let us make arrangements. You shall giv

ambo briefly, "are

n the unfortunate interpreter and led him forth.

is dam' nigger, he no good; he make you speak bad t'ing

-that was a small thing. He granted forest rights of the Isisi, he sold the Akasava, he bartered away the Lulungo territories and the "native products thereof"-I quote

rights?" asked the

ve um?" demanded

pounds?" sugg

um," sai

Cuthbert would have been scared by the easiness of his success, b

bo was of an affecting character, that Bosa

in his pocket, Cuthbert began his coa

ommissioner, who received him with op

ession that it was a pleasant disease, the principal symptom of which was a painless coma. Fascinated, he extended his stay to a fortnight

e of a tsetse fly?" said C

the other saw the little black

pered, "I've been

but Cuthbert was blundering and stumbl

"Out of this cursed country

alm, endeavoured to reassure him

ngton's clinics in vain). The missionary, judging from the man's haggard appearance and general incoherence that he had an attack of malaria, advised him to rest for a few days; b

e natives agree-from that day Cuthbe

er, when he came suddenly upon a village of death-four sad little huts, built hastily amidst a tangle o

and the dying-especially those who died sleepily-to far-away places, beyond the reach

ering, noisy forest, all a-crackle with the movements of hid

a quantity of food to be laid in a conspi

earance of Cuthbert. It was the fourth journey of its ki

rrowfully disgorged the presents he

ot have come about. For, desiring to show my people how great a man I was, I wrote a letter in the English fashion, and sent it by messenger to t

ve sentences, conveyed his i

from a prison to rule the Ochori, why did you deceive

imply, "there was noth

One man might have thrown light upon the situation, but Torrington was at home fulfilling the post of assistant examiner in mechani

sful than the third, or the second, or the first, and he re

still burnt, but the food he had placed had disappeared. He hailed the hut in the native tongue, but no one

glittered in the fading light. He stooped and picked it up. It was an exploded cartridge. He examined it carefully, smelt it-it had bee

little brass cylinders in his

ssa, "who ties monkeys

rs testily, for his mind was bu

answer be

h, whimpering and chattering and in a condition of abjec

the monkeys and back to the cartridges again, then he began searching the grass. He found two m

hut before which the fire

Cuthb

swer, and Sande

Cuthb

ior of the hut

ve come here to die!"

" said Sanders coolly;

f the hut the wreck of a man, with long hair and a mont

d Sanders, "what y

as a pitiable sight. His clothes were

what horrible thing it was-didn't want to be a burden. Oh, m

anders. "But who told you th

it," said th

e other obeyed, and Sanders

nders, after the examination, "I'm sufferi

on that was puzzling. He was dull, heavy, and

den pipe from his ragged pocket, and with pa

"I knew it (puff) as soon as that fellow Torrington (puff) described the symptoms (puff);-felt dul

at tobacco from?" dem

time to consid

Bosambo. Native tobacco, but not

s, and reaching over took the

twenty Houssas to the Ochori country to arrest Bosambo, and expected Bosambo would fly;

aid. "I myself smoke it, suffering no ill. Ho

ve it to him?"

he Commissioner

little river, because these were not mine to give. Now you come to me saying why did I