OLD RELIABLE IN AFRICA - 1920 - - CONTENTS . . . . . . . FOREWORD I THE OCEAN GAMBLERS . . . I1 THE YOUNG VIOLINIST . . , I11 THE CROOKED DEAL . . . . WITH MUNITION . . IV SIX SHOOTERS FOR FOUR . . . V STINGY V1 THE MAN WHO RAN . . . . V11 THE TERRORIST . . . . . V111 -THREE-FINGERED CHOLERA . . IX THE YELLOW FLAG . . . . X THE HIDEAWAY . . . . . XI THE BANDAGED BEGGAR . . . XI1 THE GRAND HAILING SIGN . . XI11 THE RUNNING PILL . . . . XIV THE POOL OF THE SEVEN PALMS XV SEEKING THE MIRAGE. . . . XVI THE EXPECTED ONE . . . . XVII THE DESERT CAPITAL. . . . XVIII THE TRAGEDIES OF AFRICA . . . . XIX THE PROPHET WHO SLIPPED XX TRICKY TRADERS . . . . . h. XXI UNSPENT GOLD . . . . . . XXII A MAN OF SINGULAR BEARD . XXIII THE HAREM LADY. . . . . XXIV THE MOST IMPORTANT DONKEY . XXV THE SULTANS GIFT . . . . v PAGE . vii vi CHAPTER XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX X X X XxxI XXXII XXXIII XXXIV XXXV CONTENTS PAGE . 250 . 264 t FOREWORD WHY THEY WENT TO THE SUDAN 0 LD RELIABLE never did rightly get the hang of that white mans name-the one with the single-barreled specs who came to .visit the Colonel on Sherwood Plantation. And twarlit only negroes that couldnt under- stand even the white folks had a mighty lot of trouble. Zack heard Doctor Paulding laugh and inquire, Look here, Colonel, I dont know what to call your English Lord. Cant quite get my tongue twisted around Your Lordship or Your Serene Highness. Whats the correct thing, My 3 Lord or Lord Meadowcroft . Reckon so, chuckled the olonkl. This . lord business kinder got me for a while. I sasshayed around it until he commenced calling me Spottiswoode and I called him Meadowcroft. Fine fellow, isnt he Zack cocked his head on one side and listened to everybody before addressing the distinguished stranger as, Oh L,ody, and the problem of courtesy bothered Zack no more. Oh Lordy rambled all over the plantation, horseback and afoot, poking into everything, just like that Health Officer who used to come spy- ing around the Hot Cat Eating House. Oh Lordy would stick up his eyeglass and ask a mil- I lion questions a minute about cotton and seed, and ginning and picking, and mules and negroes. When he switched off to soil and climate and 6 precipitationZack knew there wasnt nothing like that on Sherwood. . . .What makes Lord Meadowcroft so inquisi- tive Dr. Paulding asked. Business, ther Colonel laugi-ied. He wants to learn how we raise cotton. You see, Doctor, . its this way the British Cotton Growers Asso- ciation is making experiments all over the world, trying to find a soil and climate adapted to cotton culture. Meadowcroft is particularly interested in the Sudan- , - . Wheres the Sudan for Dr. Paulding had hazy geographical ideas. C c 4 Dont know, exactly-somewhere in Middle . Africa. Ask your geography. Anyway, Mead- owcroft thinks the , Sudan will produce cotton. Theyve got all kinds of theoretical experts on the ground-and want some experienced planter who understands the practical side of it-just to give them a start, you know. Ive agreed to go- for six months. FOREWARD, You Go to Africa Sure, why not Ive always wanted to see the negro at home-had a curiosityto know if hes like our negro. Heavens, Colonel, thats a mighty long trip. Yes, I know but therell be several British officers at the Concession. Of course, Ill take Zack along, to shave me and look after my bag- gage, so I wont get- lonesome. Dr. Paulding glanced at Old kliable, No, Colonel, you wont get lonesome-not if you have Zack. Many a time before he got home again Colo- nel Spot tiswoode remembered how Doctor Paul- ding had laughed and said, You wont get lone- some-not if you have Zack. k OLD RELIABLE IN AFRICA CHAPTER I - i THE OCEAN GAMBLERS T HE S. S...