Sanders of the River

is way to collect taxes and administer justice

ineer, as he had ordered; the engines had been cleaned; and Sanders nodded approvingly. He stepped lightly over two or three sleeping forms curled up on the deck, and gained the shore. "Now I think I'll turn in," he muttered, and looked at his watch. It was nine o'clock. He stood for a moment on the crest of the steep bank, and stared back across the river. The night was black, but he

nt to

n sense of humour, and then the penetrating rattle of sticks on the native drum-a hollow tree-trunk. Fiercely it beat-furiou

rned with a sigh of content and closed his eyes-he sat up

is mosquito boots. Into the darkness of the night

master?" sai

th a puzzled face, "yet we

iste

t clatter of an answering drum. The white man frowned in his perplexity. "No village is near

drum sent. Sanders waited; he knew the wonderful fact of this native telegraph, how it sent news throug

," read the native;

hite

anders' eyebrows

ad; "he sits in the Forest of Ha

man would sit in the Forest of Happy Thoughts,

t of the loveliest glade in all Africa, encamped in the very centre of the Green Path of

ng his own lo-koli man, sent an answer crashing

aper, commenting on the crowning disaster which sent him a fugitive from justice to the wild lands of Africa, "over-burdened with imagination." Mainward was cursed with ill-timed confidence; this was one of the reasons he chose to linger in that deadly strip of land of the Ituri, which is clumsily named by the natives "The Lands-where-all-bad-thoughts-become-good-thoughts" and poetically adapted by explorers and daring traders as "Th

in. He was endowed with the smattering of pigeon-English which a man may acqu

d noise, eh?" he fretted. "Y

agreed the Ka

man on the tumbled bed; "this noise is dr

or the listeners in the sick man's camp

ilk; open a fresh tin; and tell

trange how they all clamoured for immediate attention; strange how they elbowed and fought one another in their noisy claims to his notice. Of course

tunately, he could not write. He could sign things, sign his name "three months after date pa

ppiness-he greatly desired happiness. Now suppose "Fairy Lane" had won the Wokingham Stakes? It had not, of course (he winced agai

s voice, "dem puck-a-p

hat's

d almost savag

puck-you

s surprised to see that it was dawn, and grudgingly admitted to himself that he had slept. He closed his eyes again and had a strange

feeling?" sai

u think it was pretty low down of her to lead me on to believe sh

"but put her out of your mind just now; she isn't

let between his forefinger and t

Forest of Happy Dreams Johnnies; what's that? A love

rs no

ne," he said, but apparen

giggled a

later-"the best thing you can do is to let my bo

. He had awakened irrit

d of you to have come-by the wa

shook

sioner of this district," he said

y here-it's de

dear man, this is the plague spot of the Congo; it's t

f fresh green glades, of gorgeous creepe

hat's the seductive part of it; I nearly camped here

ok his head

the supernatural effects of this pleasant place," he said with

gnated with fever, and with every disease from beri-beri to sleeping sickness. You don't wake from the dreams you dream here. Man,

ward's face flushed; and

ead the rest in the papers I get from time to time. But all that is nothing to me. I'm here to help you start fair. If you had wanted

don't want to, I'm not keen; b

nswer. He was none too sure upon that point hi

to give you a chance to pull yourself together. I'll come alon

the ghost of a smile puckered the corn

tongue. A singular, masterful man this, thought Mainward. Would he have mastered Ethel? He watched

llets, and to-morrow you'll be as fit as a donkey-engine. I've got to get back to my camp to-

e alone. He had lots of matters to settle with hims

rget to take

ged to you for coming. You'v

ve. White to white, and kin to kin, don't you know? We're all alone here, and there isn't

d a little bell tingle. That must be for the engines. Then he heard

lk. "You take um medicin

ward; but the green tabloi

analyse it down to its first cause. He had had sufficient introspective exerci

s eyes and l

nd he drew aside the curtains o

along the velvet stretch of grass that slope

ed. "By all tha

tle man was in his white riding-breeches, his diminutive top-boots were splashed with mud, and on the crimson of his silk jacket there was

d, with a smile, "what on

aid the little man. "I've just weighed in. I th

ely. "I knew she wo

ve you a sm

ung a little, but I showed her the whip, and she came on as straight as a die. I thought once the Stalk would beat us

've done me a good turn, Atty. This win will get me out of one of the bigges

the little jockey gratefully;

ched him, as he moved q

at his soiled duck suit. "What an ass I was to come like this," he muttered

his big nose, Mainward endeavoured to slip back out of observation. But Venn saw him, and

e grinned, "been

to find you, eh?" Venn removed his shining silk hat

old feller-abo

" Mainward interposed easi

impetuously; "a few hundred more or less

old me you

"but that was before Kaffirs started

ide apart, his hat perched on the back of his head, his plump

thousand?

a hurried apology he went blundering up the green slope, stopping and turning back to indulge

e enjoyment. Venn, of all people! Venn, with his ac

again, and his heart beat faster and fast

idly cool

h the long grass-white, with a green belt all encrusted with gold embroidery. He took in every detai

ry to him, that

al tenderness-those dear eyes

pered, and dared

derfully surpri

el!

ad to

her cheek and heard the faltering voice with a w

ng her

red, and groped toward

gainst his breast, the perfume

Her hot cheek was agai

e was tremulous with happiness,

e felt her heart beating as furiously as his own.

py!" she sobbed,

ergrowth to the camp. Abiboo, squatting by the curtained bed, did not rise. Sanders wal

again, lit his pipe slowly

he die?"

he morning, maste

owly. "Why did yo

igure made no reply, then he

this man was happy; he walked in the Forest of Happy Thoughts; why should I call him back to

sopher," said S

id Abiboo, the Kano boy; "and all th