THE DOCTOR'S PROTÉGÉE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 523, 4 December 1912, Page 2

THE DOCTOR'S PROTÉGÉE.

(All Rights Reserved.)

By ALBERT LEE,

Author of "The Baronet in Corduroy," "The Key of the Holy House," King Stork of the Netherlands," " The Black Disc," &c.

Published By Special Arrangement,

CHAPTER XXXVl.— {Continued ) One thing remained, and that was to take counsel with Hesketh. His advice was to take the risks. The probabilities were that since the trident had not been hidden—according to the date on the manuscript—more than five years, Sechele, the African potentate, was yet alive; unless he had fallen in the meantime in a tribal fight. The stake was worth the trouble, and the expense was already provided for, while some amount of security could be assured by taking a ooore of well-armed men who, on tlio promise of good pay, would welcome the thought of a serious 'adventure. He named offhand a dozen win, having been roughly treated by the- disaster in Cabesterre, would be glad of some employment which would provide them with money that would put them on their feet again ; and probably there would be little difficulty in finding another dozen when we began to look for them soriously. "When shall we start?" asked Teresina, who had been quietly listening, j "We, my darling?" I cried. "You must stay with Mrs. Hesketh at Anselme while we prosecute the search." "I shall do nothing of the sort, Wilfred. Where my husband goes I go," she answered, decisively; but on the instant I concluded that if ] this was her attitude the expedition was practically set aside once for all, since no one could seriously think of j her entering on an enterprise so j fraught with danger. When I said as much, she exclaimed, half in earnest, and part way in jest: ."Well, Wilfred, if you stay at Anselme I shall have to go without you. The money has/to be found. My father said that wlien my birthday came I was to open the ScarletCross package, and follow out tho instructions contained in it. Suppose that I had not known you, I J should have been busy in carrying j out the search, and the only difference—and a delightful one—is, that now I have your help and advice." She laughed when she gazed into my face and saw the look there, and before I could make any protest she declared: "Wilfred, that treasure must be found, and if you do not set about the search at once I shall do so myself!" . -I My endeavors to dissuade her had not the slightest effect. She sat down in pretty stubbornness', and to every argument advanced asked when the expedition would start. The sooner the work was begun the better she would be pleased, for she was anxiousi to return to England and settle down in a home there. "At the Bartons, Wilfred, and with Mrs. Dawney as my housekeeper," she added. Then, coming ovei to me and kissing me, she whispered: "Say no more, my love, for J intend to go. Where my husband goes I go. If he is in danger, I shall share it." '"I would rather let the money rot than take you to a country where you would be exposed to such risks," I expostulated. "It doesn't matter one bit, my love. I mean to have the money if it really exists, and was not an imaginary* thing 'in the mind of that eccentric Italian." The only thing remaining after that was to prepare for the journey into Sechele's territory, and had anyone taken note of our doings, he might very well have imagined that we were making ready for a filibustering expedition, the object of which was only known to ourselves. We had returned to Anselme, and Peel, who, in his day, had been a sailor, having completely recovered, begged to bo allowed to take part in the enterprise. It had so happened that he had travelled through Machodi, and thought that while it was best to be prepared for accidents, there was no very great danger threatening. I listened to his sugggestions in some astonishment. Hesketh's mind and mine were running on rifles, revolvers, and ammunition, but his was bent on food, on comfortable, portable tents, and cheap equipment. Nothing would please him but that we should make for Rosque, the nearest port to Anselme, and when once we got there he began to busy himself concerning folding bedsteads, mosquito curtains, kit-bags, waterproof clothing, portable cooking apparatus, filters, water-coolers, camp lanterns, air-tight trunks, and the like. ; To all intents and purposes he seemed to be dealing with the enterprise as a pleausre expedition, with untold wealth at the end of it, to be won with the minimum of danger. Hesketh once or twice suggested that Peel w:as playing a game of bluff ; and yet he had experience behind him. He had gone right

past times he had dealt with difficulties on the Anselme plantation, he had made some apparently extravagant suggestions, Hesketh had found him master of his work ; and this constituted a fair reason for taking him on trust with regard to the journey into Sechele's domain. Nevertheless, while Peel was given carte blanche in his own particular chare of the preparations, Hesketh and I did our very best to convert cur expedition into a travelling arsenal. The half-dozen men who had gone with us to Patris Island were ready to join us, and they were able to find us such a number of stalwart fellows that we had sufficient force at our disposal before the third day had passed after our return to Anselme. CHAPTER XXXVII. 'A NIGHT ATTACK. We steamed away from Rosque and began our eastward journey across the Atlantic. Apart from the crew we numbered forty-two strong, every member of the party a picked man, who was offered ; such terms that ihe considered himself lucky, and his future assured of we returned from a successful expedition. The destruction of St. Monod and the surrounding country had meant ruin for these men of Cabesterre, but now they felt that there would be sufficient for them to start the world afresh; and a man will do much to get a fair chance in life. Our first point of contact with the West African coast was Kabinda, not far from the mouth of the Congo, and there we found some carriers for our impedimenta. There were eighty or ninety of them, and they were ready to set forth on startlingly low terms. The negroes came in scores when it was known that we w,anted carriers for the interior, so that we had our choice, and could thus dispense with the roughs, rowdies, and ruffians who offered themselves, and clamored for employment, even when they were told that the pay would be deferred until we were all assembled again at Kabinda, where the money they were to receive would be safely lodged. Having thus obtained what we desired in the matter of carriers, cloths, beads, and brass wire, we sailed down the coast to our contemplated landing-place, just below the mouth of the Coanzo River; but on the first day our troubles began, and somewhat shook our faith in Peel's optimism. We had left the coast behind us, and had just come to the shelter of a grassy ridge, sloping up in our rear, encircled by trees on that side, but open for a long distance in front of us, so that we could see ten miles or more of fertile country through which we should travel on the following day. The tent had been pitched, and Teresina, Hesketh, and I were seated at our evening meal when Peel entered hastily, without so much as a word of apology. • "There are some warriors coming round from the right," he exclaimed, and almost before we had time to snatch up our rifles a score of our men from Cabesterre went swinging past, and Peel was hurrying out to put them into fighting order. The sight that met our gaze was calculated to-test our courage, and as I issued through the door of the tout I wished with all my heart that I had left Teresina behind, and, failing that, had allowed the treasure of Gian Galeazzo to rot in its in Machodi. Some five hundred warriors were approaching big, naked fellows, whose black bodies seemed to gleam in the sunlight. The spears of many were uplifted ; others came with their bows half bent, and their gestures betokened violence. Unless something transpired quickly, there was every promise of a fight which might end in serious loss to our party. I rememb«V>ed the Gemsbok Trident, and what Gian Galeazzo said about its certain effect on Sechele's warriors when they should sete it. Returning to the tent, I brought it out, and passed to the front of the formidable line which our men had formed before the tent, and where they waited with their rifles ready, prepared to pick out their men and fire at the word of command. Our carriers were standing in a huddled mass, panic-stricken, but far enough behind our men to be out of reach of the spear, and ready if the fight went against us to fly into the dense forest at our backs. But Khonko, my interpreter, was no coward, and when I called to him he advanced with me, bis hand, however, fingering the revolver at his belt. Teresina would have gone with me, but I told her to remain in the tent and not to stir from it. Holding up the trident, so that the sun's rays caught the gold which blazed out richly. T went forward

ranks of fifly. and thus ten deep, and waited, the tiv>s of their shears gleaming throatc-mnjdy in 'ihe 'jvr.i. "Call to the chief,'Khonko," I exclaimed, as we went forward bold ly. "Bid him come out and meet us." And lest the leader of the dusky warriors should suspect treachery, I held up my right hand to shew that I was unarmed. The leader came forward at once, and as if to assure us that he had no suspicion of treachery, he threw down his spear between us when we stood face to face. He was a splendid (specimen of the warriors of the Dark Continent, while he stood there wearing his barbaric ornaments. Huge as some of his own men were, he was fit leader of them all in point of stature—tall and manly, the image of the splevidid savage, and possessed of great physical strength. He was as naked a.s when he was born, save for the ornamented apron which he wore about his loins, some coloured beads in his hair, the gold wire collar around his neck, and the narrow golden bracelet on each wrist. "Whence come ye?" he cried, when he halted before me, with a couple of yards of space between us. Khonko interpreted the question, and my reply came readily. "I bring the Gemsbok Trident of Gian Galeazzo, and desire at once that I and my men may be led to Sechele, at Machodi." The chieftain, at this, raised his hand, and on fehe instant the warriors dismissed their alertness; the lifted spears were lowereid, the shields were taken from the arms and thrown to the earth, while those whose bows were drawn, ready to send their arrows on an errand of death, returned the arrows to their quivers, and stood in silent expectation. "I am Komeh," said the warrior, "and I am here to keep back the enemies of the great king. But since you bring with you the golden trident you are welcome. I will take you to the king at daydawn." That night we rested, careful, however, not to put too much trust in the friendliness that was exhibited by Komeh and his warriors. When we retired to rest our sentries were stationed round our camp, and Hesketh, Peel, and I took our turns during the night on the watch. The morning came, however, without any danger having threatened, and when we. started on our journey Komeh marched with us, fais warriors serving as an escort. On the way he told us of the greatness of his sovereign lord, and set forth in many a detail Sechele's marvellous prowess as a fighter. Teresina 'a beauty greatly impressed him, and during the journey, which lasted many days, he contrived constantly to place himself at her side, as she lay in the hammock which was borne by our carriers. Sometimes, when the road was easy she walked, and Komeh asked a hundred questions as to her white sisters in the land beyond the sea. The journey was a varied one. At times it lay over stony and broad sandy flats, then through the bamboo forest, out of which we emerged and began to traverse tracts of land where grass and grain alternated, shewing that Sechele had no faith in his people living from hand to mouth, and starving too frequently in consequence. At times we halted at some water-pans sufficiently long for the warriors and any of our own party to slake their thirst: then on we went again, making steady progress towards the goal where we were shielded from the sun's glare by skirting the forests or passing into the depths of them and thus finding shade beneath the dense foliage. At last the road led up a long, broad, stony valley, where travelling was trying to such of our company as were not used to the climate. Water was scarce and the flies treated us cruelly. It was here that my real anxiety began, but Hesketh, at first, did not apparently see any need for it. Komeh seemed to be increasingly interested in Teresina, and whereas at times he had gone hither and thither among his warriors, alert, as though he expected an attack from an enemy, he now began to be troublcsomcly attentive to her, resenting even the approach of his captains who wished to know his will as to the line of march. (To be Continued.) D.P. —29.