Sanders of the River

ich the loose-minded pass upon any man whose loves lack promiscuosity, and who does not diffuse his passions. Sanders was described as a woman-hater by such men who knew him sufficient

ant to Sanders for three months, at the end of which t

can go home,"

pened his eyes

" he

stared through the open doo

ded the youn

ers shortly-he was rather unco

s-like

ted uneasily

You go home and marry that nice girl you u

went red un

going to take any notice-you know it's the sort of thing that's done in black cou

ked at the

nibals that worry me. Home you go, my son; get married, crescit sub pondere virtus-you'll find the translation in the foreign phrase department of any respectable dictionary. As to the sort of things that are do

y wen

uld not have sounded nice. He was a fairly decent boy, as boys of his type

k in its process of working. For, after seeing his assistant safely embarked on a homeward-

, who keep extraordinary records in their heads, the information being handed from father to son, say that M'Lino came from an Arabi fam

sent for her, alert, suspici

speak, she asked

the nearest the native ever got to

e black water," said Sanders

she said quickly, and

ndered at the bitterness in her ton

honour them, for they go down to the caves of hell when they bear children;

and her eyes were filled with a strange luminosity. Something like a panic awoke in Sanders' heart-had the mischief been done? H

and I was a slave; I also would have gone down to hell, for some d

for it!" said Sander

y from him and walked away. Sanders watched the graceful figure as

he remembered that the reproof he had f

aid Sanders, with some annoyanc

eturned Ludley. He was a fresh-faced youth, bubbling over with enthusiasm, and,

Sanders, "and I want to tell you t

anded the youth eagerly.

on the rail of the verandah, "they are not-it is not

even though it was no creditabl

said young Penson, w

et me hear from you from time to time; if you don't write about her I

son again; for he was at the age w

isgrace, a few months later, he wrote no word of the straight, slim girl, with her wonderful eyes. Other communica

d been punished unjustly, of savage floggings administered by order of the

ry hereabouts is a riot of vegetation. Then he came upon an African idyll-a young man, who sat playing o

ot up from the fallen tree on which he sat, and looked at him calmly, and

my woman," he said soft

aid, when the girl had gone-slowly and reluctantly-"

pipe from his pocke

, in the tone of one who

rtunate husband of that attractive nigger lad

know she's a native and all that sort of thing, b

d Sanders quietly. "Regard

to investigate the flogging of O'Sako, and no word passed c

ll send you home

He had lost all his self-assurance on the journey d

he mail boat called en route for England; "from the v

, and saw him off to the

e Administration. "I find my work sufficiently entertaining without the

si to straighten matters out, an

e gone, too

ino," said Sanders, "

re feeling than Sanders thought

easy lover,"

no

n I love, I love with terrible strength; when I h

it very

exasperated Commissioner, "I w

rl contemptuously, a

, and no man dared question or disobey his word. Had M'Lino been a man, as he said, she would have suffered for her treason-there i

she had become the favourite wife of O'Sako; that she had many lovers and scorned her husband, but he sought no news of her. Once he saw her walking towards him,

banks. His mind was filled with the problem of M'Lino, when suddenly in the bush that fringes the Isisi river, something went "woof," and the air was filled wit

d-be assassin to fire a blunderbuss in his direction, and Abiboo, bare-headed, w

above their heads with the one hand and their ammunition in the other, and Sanders st

the approach to land lay through coarse grass that sprang from the swamp, vegetation ran ra

hey found the man with his

n of philosophers-and he surrender

oo, as they hurried down the bank t

oo, who was embittered by the loss of his tarbosh, wh

w the prisoner. He held an informal

hoot at me

ster," sai

hy

eplied, "you are a devil

as puzzle

he devil department have I been

was gazing at

business to understand these things.

was put in irons, the nose of the steamer turned agai

-up place. Here there were dead trees for the choppin

s neat little cabin forward was a litter of splinters and broken glass where the potl

d and separated from the other by custom and language. They were distinct,

t tribe, people against people. There were battles, murders, raidings, and whole

ong, thin cigar from his case,

he leg-iron to a staple, and did not seem depressed to any extent. When Sanders made his app

ey call yo

i of I

d you to

, I f

or a

may have b

examination at Isisi taught Sanders nothing, for, when co

t establishment at the river's mouth. There matters stood for three months, and all that Sanders lea

our's wife, took three hundred spears down into the Isisi country, burnt the vi

great and shameless orgies that lasted five days, and the strip of forest that

ct of inventing justification for his crime, when Sanders came on the scene. More omi

im out, and Tebeki, blear-eyed and shaky, s

ers, "what of O'Sak

eki, slowly, "he p

aid Sanders coldly, and

itable tree. There was one be

l hang you," said Sande

only his bare feet

eyeing the group with curiosity; then she came fo

man?" she asked. "I am M

e showed his teeth in a mirt

und this one." Then he turned away to give directions for the hangi

O'Sako's death, was it not I, his wife? Yet

Sanders politely; "I am gettin

d the Houssa corps marched away, and the death song of the woman sounded fainter and fainter as the forest enveloped him. He camped that night on the

the wife of O'S

mission witho

ki, my lover, the people have cast me forth," she said. "Every

said S

each the Sangar River, which leads

with hate because I have taken two men from you, and hanged a third. Nevertheless, you shall come with us

, and Sanders issued or

ervant, was a sergeant of the Houssas, came to Sanders' tent, and the C

?" he ask

Abiboo, "it is the woman

u wake me up in the middle of the night with tha

witch, for she has talked with my men and done many wonderful thing

th quiet savageness, "I had chosen Kroomen or Bushmen"-the sergeant winced-"or the

ed down the insul

nders. He scrambled into his clo

of bare feet, and the girl came int

I told you that you were

d, "they spoke

his t

he son of Sekambano, spoke with her, thus disobey

take Tembeli, the son of Sekambano, tie h

little notebook, all brass binding and

"you drop your damned bush-mesmerism, o

he said meekly

eant gave him twenty-one with a pliable hippo-hi

ed that Tembeli had died in the ni

," he said; "he has ha

t wisely. "She is a witch; I foresa

d Sanders wrote three reports of the circumst

e marc

ort, to the chief, with orders to see her safely to the Sangar River. In half an h

not take her i

ered in his wrath; "Afra

the lo-koli has told him the story

minutes; then he went off to in

e point. Sanders knew this native

things I may do; one is to punish you for your

if you give my village to the fire, y

aid Sanders; "therefor

" and rest at mid-day, a man of the Houssas came to him and said there was a dead man hanging from a tree in the wood.

ointed to a straight gum-tree th

as no evidence of tragedy. The man still

little hesitation, the soldier walked slowly to the tree and put out

said, and whistled

asked Sanders, and the se

the hang

-for he began to appreciate the need for calm

uzzled, and turned

is a man hang

must investigate this matter." And he si

ssly if the sergeant had s

did not speak, exc

said, "where did you bury Te

dance with our custom, on the

for this is not the

s to the camping place where

ed round the little camp. The men were sitting about their cooking-pots, but t

suddenly before her, "how many m

nd he returned the stare; then she dr

nk," said

nner when Abiboo cam

man has die

oked at hi

ch m

tted with your own

man, nor had he ordered punishment, but he rep

ith black looks as Sanders came near, and there was some muttering. Though Sanders did not see it,

an who lay there, felt his breas

chest," he said, b

peated, "bring my

and, with every appeara

Sanders opened it, took out the ammonia bottle,

dermic syringe and filled the little tube with a solution of strychnine. This he jab

eerfully; "I am eviden

dusted his knees, and

eli. If the leopards have not taken him, you will meet him

h off, then turned hi

have met your like before"-it was observed that the face of Sanders was v

laug

one another for a space of time which seemed to Sanders a thou

r if you killed yo

nders dully, and fumb

er, when a rifle banged in the bushes an

ussa, was eve

our rifle to kill me, being under the influence of

ussa simply, "I know

e," said Sanders, and g