Adventure Magazine Cover, June 20, 1925 — page 178: what you’re looking at

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

160 niggers make deals with me? Vhere do I stand?” D’ Andra laughed. “Vou. Who cares anything about the affairs of a lousy little of a Jew——”’ “That’s quite enough from you,” Miles said in a cold, quiet voice. He shook off Isaacs’ restraining hand. “If you don’t apologise to Mr. Isaacs at once, Ill pull you off your horse and beat some courtesy into you.” ‘ D’Andra stiffened and turning in his saddle looked back to see if the rest of his party was in sight. But his eyes met noth- ing save a seemingly endless vista of bush —unbroken, unrelieved by any moving thing. He turned back. _ “Tam very sorry, Mr. Isaacs,’”’ he mum- bled in ungracious tones. He flashed a resentful glance at Miles. “That’s all right,” Isaacs hastily assured him. ‘“Vot you said vasn’t anything to me. Of course the missioner didn’t like it, but me, I knew you vas only joking. An’ now, mister, I’ve got a proposition to make. Id like to get things ready for you an’ your friends—hot vater for baths and a good meal. They’ll be along soon, von’t they?” D’ Andra nodded. “They can’t be far behind. I rode on be- cause I wanted to be the first to get a decent bath.”’ “Oy,” Isaacs exclaimed admiringly. ‘An’ you rode on alone in a strange country just to get a vash first. My! You might have got lost.” “The trail is wide and well defined,” D’Andra said contemptuously. “Sure it is. But it takes a man vot knows to follow it. ie = awe | e Now me! He spread his fingers and hunched up his shoulders until they nearly touched his large, outstanding ears. ‘Turn me around just once an’ I’m lost.” D’Andra smiled sourly. He was clever enough to take Isaacs’ sycophantic flattery for what it was worth but he was not clever enough to realize the storekeeper was deliberately helping him to arrive at an absolutely incorrect estimate of his character and ability. In Isaacs, D’An- dra saw just what the little man wanted him to see: A fawning, cringing storekeeper, with no thought above making as big a profit as possible in all his dealings; a man who meekly accepted insults in the hope of Adventure being able to sell his insulter something at twice its value. Certainly, D’Andra thought, their mis- sion had nothing to fear from the store- keeper. About the missionary, he was not so sure. He decided that it would be wise to get into that man’s good books, to try to wipe out the unfavorable impression he had made. If he didn’t, Gonzales would be very angry. D’Andra shuddered slightly. He was afraid of Gonzales who had as- sumed complete charge of the expedition from the time it left Lourenco Marques. And he ruled with an iron fist. His sjam- bok was busy all day long and once he had even threatened D’Andra. That was after he had seen D’Andra conversing too famili- arly with one of the native porters. “Remember,” he had said then, “our policy on the trip is severity toward nig- gers—always that; always show them the mailed fist and no glove on it! No exhibi- tion of softness! What we want, we take, but we must be on friendly terms with all the whites we meet in Macombe’s country and on the way up, at least until we’ve gained out objective. After that—’’ He had shrugged his shoulders. ‘But don’t forget my order, D’Andra, unless you wish to taste the kiss of my sjambok.” Remembering all this, D’Andra smiled wistfully at Isaacs and then at Miles. ‘“‘As a matter of fact,’’ he said humbly, “T was lost. I think that the reaction I experienced at finding you gentlemen and knowing that I was safe, is the explanation of my ungraciousness. Again, Senhor Isa- acs—’’ he bowed—‘‘a thousand pardons.”’ “That’s all right, mister,’ Isaacs assured him. “You vasn’t insulting. But now, as I vas saying. It vould be nice if I could go ahead and get things ready for you. But it’s a long vay, an’ my legs are short, an’ I can’t valk very fast. But now—you von’t think me cheeky?—supposin’ you let me ride your horse up to my store an’ you valk up with the missioner—then I could have everything ready for you.” | D’Andra hesitated a moment. ‘All right,” he said finally. “Td like to walk up with you, sir,” he turned to Miles,— ‘if you’ll permit it. Undoubtedly there is much you can tell me about this country that will make our investigations much easier.” He dismounted and courteously held the stirrup for Isaacs to mount; Miles assisted COMIGDIOOKSEEO