Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 1, 1922 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

870 his brief collapse warned Fred that the man had drawn close to the end of his physical strength. “Are you better now, sir?” he asked anxiously. Holden smiled wanly and attempted to rise. “T’m quite all—” he began, but before he could finish the sentence his eyes closed and his head fell forward. For an instant Fred thought that he had fainted again, but examination revealed the fact that the exhausted Holden had done nothing more serious than fall sound asleep. Rushton left him there and went in search of M’Buli, but he discovered that worthy entirely lost to the world and snor- ing vigorously in the shade.of a tree. His men had not waited for him to set the ex- ample, and glancing about at their recum- bent forms, Fred knew thex for the second time in twenty-four hours his nervous de- sire for action was balked by the sheer need for rest. He flung himself upon the grass near the chief, with an impatient sigh and a firm conviction that sleep was impossible, and in two minutes his aching heart and troubled mind had found the nepenthe of oblivion. When he awakened dusk had fallen and the purple shadows of night were creeping . from the jungle and enfolding the com- pound. The Batatekes, admirable oppor- tunists at all times, were cooking the eve- ning meal over the smoldering timbers of the factory, and while he still lay half asleep a dish of food was brought to him by M’Buli himself. He shook his head at first, but nature asserted herself forthwith in no uncertain fashion, and he was pres- ently eating as ravenously as his black companion. The Batateke grinned and nodded ap- proval as the last morsel vanished down the young man’s throat. The two men had taken a distinct liking to each other during the past two days. Rushton could not but admire the capable way in which the chief handled his men and looked unceasingly to their comfort, and the obedience and devo- tion with which the natives regarded their headman told its own story to his credit. M’Buli’s idea of what constituted a good ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. citizen was naturally based upon primitive, if sound, conception. Fred, in the chief’s Opinion, measured up to the standard. In the night run from Gama he had shown himself possessed of physical endurance rare in a white man; in his rescue of Holden fronfthe gorilla he had demonstrated quick- ness and courage; and in his obvious pas- sion for Celia and his determination to wreak vengeance upon her abduttors he had proved himself capable of the primal emotions of love and revenge. If anything further went to the making of a man, M’Buli didn’t know what it was. Although Rushton’s knowledge of the Batateke dialect was about as extensive as the chief’s grasp of English, the two men were able, by patient effort, to talk to- gether. While they ate their meal, M’Buli told the other of things that had happened while the young man:slept. A sergeant of police had drifted upon the scene from Ma- fadi and interviewed Holden, who had been aroused: for. the purpose. Apparently the conversation had not been productive of much result. The man had politely but stubbornly insisted that he could do noth- ing until his superior returned from his shooting trip, whereupon the trader had delivered a withering commentary on the Congo government from its royal head down to the sergeant, whom he described, to the huge delight of the attendant Bata- tekes, as a bit of hyena food. He had then ordered the man off the place and, accord- ing to the chief, felt much better for his righteous wrath. He confirmed this in person a minute later by striding briskly up to the place where they were sitting. His carriage was erect, his eyes sparkled with new life, and his speech was firm and terse as he told Fred how he had been occupied. Mrs. Holden had recovered sufficiently to be moved, and he had taken her in a canoe to Mafadi, where he left her in the care of an old missionary and his wife. He had pur- chased a large quantity of provisions and ammunition to replace the stuff destroyed in the fire, and had then hurried back to the ruins of his factory as anxious as Fred to start in pursuit of the scoundrels who had kidnaped his daughter. DOOK C©