The Second Class Passenger: Fifteen Stories

the earth shows it is red, as though a wound bled. The mimosas have not yet come to flower, but amid their delicate green-the long thorns, straight or curved like claws, gleam wit

crawl nameless under foot. A pea-hen shrieks in the grass, and a kite whistles aloft. A remote speck in the sky denotes a watchful vulture, alert for

said: "Damn the heat," and done with it, John Mills, the trader, tasted the word on his lips, forbore to slip it, and counted it to himself for virtue. He set a large value on restraint, which, in view of his strength and resolute daring, was perhaps not wholly false. He was a large man, more noticeable for a sturdy solidness of proportion than for height, and his strong face was won to pleasantness by a brown beard, which he wore

comfort. No one, he knew, lived thereabouts-no one, at least, who was likely to have whisky at hand, though, for the matter of that, he would have welcomed a hut and a draught of Kafir itywala. His surprise was the greate

and tanned face, and he saw, too, that he wore a heavy Webley on his right hip. The newco

aid Mills

till. He had a capital smile, and Mills

y; "didn't expect to meet no white

ction of the coast, as though to imply that he

asantly. "An' you a

s gun to the ground and resting both hands on the muzzle.

ou," pondered Mills. "I

l. Le' me see. W

decidedly. "I never w

the stranger. "Oh,

a's, p

bit. I had a block of claims on t

hoot the Intendente, not? That was ver' fine. I see you coom down

obbin' me for six months. But that's nobody's business but mine, and anyhow I di

but I know you. Oh, ver' well. I see you

t?" deman

a's all. All the peop

n' rem

n a good many chaps, and I'd be like to forget

Well, I don' tell you. I fin' anything, I don' tell all the people; I don' blo

have thought you'd have found much here. But then, of course, you're not

he direction whence Mills had come. "'Bout five

d Mills. "I'm not more than four mil

nchman. "I go a leetle

ed still from heat and sweat. His taller companion went more easily, striding along as Mills

f man for this blooming country. You travel as if yo

ou see, I come from a 'ot country. In France i

fter pea-hen, or you wouldn't see me out this

E

I said," repeated Mills. "They

ya

of walking brought them to its banks. The stream flowed greasily and dark, some forty yards wide, but in the middle it forked about a spit of sand n

and began to pu

ywhere," he said. "

nchman. "Some day I come up a

y as he slung his boots across his shoulders.

and stared at it. "I

You goin'

mos'ly trust yourself on 'em if you

water reached no higher than his knees, but the gro

," he called. "I

and came to t

" he called. "I'll

an jumped t

esticulating violently. "

agged his right foot forth and plunged forward, but with the action his lef

," he shouted. "Throw you' boots down. You' in to the

ands together

sand swallowed it at once. He turn

ietly. "I reckon you better take

smiled at him oddly. Mills, in the midst of his trouble, felt an odd sense of out

at?" he gasped. "

an, fumbling at the buckle of his belt,

flung him the end of the belt. Mills failed to catch it, an

pped it, "catch 'old tight," and he

ied Mills; "y

free hastily, and stra

k with his entombed leg

the sands. Thus they

ead in the water

they waded

slowly, as he sat down and gazed at the place that h

man, smiling amicably. "You

fully. "I suppose anyone 'ud s

eplied t

d for you, Frenchy. You done me a good turn

Frenchman as

" retorted the trader. "I said I'd do as

renchman. "I think you

ou'd come up and see me at my

now," answer

trust me to go alone, are you?

interrupted the Fre

aid Mills heartily

thoughtfully, with an occasional glance at his companion.

oke?" demande

d piece of business

nch

ontinued Mill

and right, and once a night-adder hissed malevolently at the Frenchman's heel. They talked little as they went, but Mills noticed that now and again his companion appeared to check a laugh. He experienced a feeling of vague indignation against the man who had saved his life; he was selfish in not sharing his point of view and the

t as they breasted the last rise. The indescribable homely smell of a wood-fire greeted the nostrils with the force of

id Mills, breakin

Frenchman; "'ome, e

r aggressively. "Home is something. Though never

n name' Albert Smith, an' 'e sing that in the jail at Bei

vas chairs, a camp table, a variety of boxes to sit upon, and some picture-paper illustration on the mud wall. A candle in a bot

themselves from buckets, and dressed a

d Mills; "but I think a gargle's the fi

ed for whisky, and too

e observed, "I should be as drunk a

E

ike a yowe. I said you can take it, the drink. Sa

the guest. "Ver'

offered. Everything was tinned, and the menu ran the gamut of edibles from roast capon (cold) to pate de foie gras in a pot. When

ily; "I don't quite cotton to you, and I think it p

ed the othe

"I want to know who you are, and I gue

d the bowl fastidiously with his thumb, smiling the while. Of a sudden he looked

ve' you in the river

the trader hot

y, as though speaking to himself. "Yes

n emphasis that was like an insult. "You sink there in the sand. I stop and save you

go down; you die.' I don' say that. I stop. I save you. An'

al was to the core of his nature; the

at," he urged. "But w

e after

plied the Frenchman w

don' like you. Dam' yo

me to them. They shoo

is

nced again to smoke with an ex

e take to you-at first. I can't say fairer than that. But tell me

Frenchy-'e shoot a man in Macequece. Shoot 'im dead. Dead as pork. Then they all coom after 'im. Wan' to shoot 'im. An' po' ol' Frenchy, 'e stop to pull Jone Mills out of the river. 'E save J

and across the table, "I'm in this. They won't catc

E

u may be a hard case, but you did save my life, and it's up

the two shook hands over the candle. The F

do' know me. I trust you,

in issue, and there remained a debt to be satisfied before he could raise it. The knowledge that Frenchy had shot a man did not trouble him in the least, so long as the accompanying circumstances and the motive were in accordance with the simple standards of Manicaland. Here came in the doubt, eng

exclaimed Mills. "How d'you

eplied the othe

d'you think they'll

a swelling of his chest-"I don' think they wan' to mee

hat's all right, it'll be time enough to clear by daylight. D

"So I coom out-with-out e

want a gun. Then, with skoff for a fortnight, you ought to be

er' naice," sm

), said Mills rising. "I don't know

was in full swing; but he caught no sound of human approach, and returned to the huts to prepare his guest's kit for the departure. He found and partially cleaned an old rifle, and unpacked a generous donation of cartridges. Meal for the carriers, blankets and tinned meats for the Frenchman, were all at hand. Candles, a lantern, matches, gin,

er no more, Jack,

g rifle in his hand. His reddish moustache was draggled with dew and hi

enchy?" he

rprise. "What're you talkin

yer go up 'ere together, Jack, and nobody ain't gone away since.

ls desperately, witho

t his words were arrested by a clamor in the yard.

arley," shouted so

pped forward. Mills saw the face and hand of a man standing upright, brilliantly illuminated by the flame of the match; and on the ground three men, who knelt on

his game o' yours- comin' to a man's kia in the mi

ck?" he said. "Well, you wouldn't be so ready to cal

!" comment

ls to the Kafirs. "What d'you

. The tone was eloquent of t

n-mouthed. "A wo

the street, in the daytime, and did a bolt for the bush. Ev

They were all known to him. The man who was cording the prisoner's arms had seen his daring work at Mandega's. He knelt on the prostra

life, Jone

e of the men, and str

o slow, can't you, There's

t. "Why, man," exclaimed Charley, "

about savin' your l

e told them the story, and t

ncluded the trader. "I'd ha' bin dead by n

been tying the Frenchman's arms, as he rose to his feet. "He'

and clapped Mill

id. "Why, hang it all, you wouldn't have us

If it wasn't that 'e's got to go back to Mac

oke a chance, give 'im a run for it. Why, I wouldn't kill a dog s

a woman," s

-the man had committ

im now. He had shot a

nchman-the cords were

saved y

lls passionately; "why couldn't you

lls aside. "We'll trouble you for a drink an

middle of the kraal, bound; his captors' weapons lay at their feet. He was as effectually a prisoner as if their five barrels were covering him. Mills

y?" asked Dave, setting dow

ly. "Plenty." He shouted for

bring a bottle of whisky." He spoke the "kitchen

s," said

nd quietly, "take a knife and cut loose the man

e wall beside him Mills had reached a revolver and held them covered. The barrel moved over them, presenting its black threatful

" crie

ove now. For God's sake don't move.

woman," the

said Mills. "Are you

swer, and with it t

remorseless barrel still sailed to and fr

I'll only give you five minutes.

s, J

es us qui

d, Jone.

bye, F

slightly. The barrel sprang round

again, Davy,"

hot for this," sn

," replied

s by guess. He dared not look aw

no less. If it 'ad been a man 'e shot I'd ha' kept you here a

he revolver

" he

. Mills gave them back their eyes gloomily, leaning with folded

it of you-I didn't indeed. A skunk like that! a woman-s

"He saved my life, and I'm satisfied. So if you

of anger. "You ought to be shot," he

t," growled one

d Dave impatiently; "w

won't say we've los

rows and turned

Jack," he said. "What

ly, like a man newly

at him from the path,"

eeping north. I'll

we'd have a chanc

you can do is wait till he breaks cover down below, an' try a long shot. By God!" he cried

it there was to be gained a clear view of the bush beneath, where it surged at the foot of the hill and ran down the kloof; at the lower part of the kloof it ceased, and th

e morning. The air was of diamond, and the chill of the night had a

d up there," whispere

ed without

other. "I reckon I understand, old bo

t," was t

chaps'll forget the other business then. T

care for them or wha

ll

rupted Dave. "You know a

id Mills. "The spot's a bit of a hole in th

st a cartridge in; tested the air with a wet finger, and wriggled the butt home into his shoulder. Dave watched him in silence; Mills was, he knew, a good shot, and he was now preparing,

, with an artist's l

nd was plainly to be seen against the red ground. Th

expression whatever, save one of cool interest, just touched with a craftsman's confidence. His barrel was steady as his head. The littl

ls. "Now just a li

fir

the air, no tragic boun

he valley fell where i

ked open

took him in the