The Fire-Gods A Tale of the Congo - Charles Gibson (short novels in english .TXT) 📗

to verify the evidence of the tall

grandfather’s clock which proclaimed the hour between the masks of a

snow-leopard and a panther.

 

"He said he would be back at five," said he to his uncle. "I suppose

we’d better wait."

 

At that moment, one of the green baize doors swung open, and Captain

Crouch limped into the room. He was now dressed in what he deemed the

garb of civilization: that is to say, a navy blue pilot-coat, with brass

buttons, and a red tie that might have served to guide him in the fog.

They had the smoking-room to themselves.

 

"It’s all right," said Crouch, "I’ve fixed it up. Lewis and Sharp paid

over the money this afternoon, and I gave them a receipt."

 

"How much did they fetch?" asked Max.

 

"Three hundred and eighty thousand pounds."

 

Max whistled, but said nothing. For some minutes, the three explorers

sat gazing into the fire. Not another word was spoken until Frankfort

Williams burst into the room.

 

Williams had no sympathy with those who roamed the equatorial forests.

His own heart was set upon the ice-floes of the Arctic.

 

"Look here," he cried, "what’s this I hear about you fellows presenting

a million pounds to some Missionary Society?"

 

"Who told you that?" said Crouch.

 

"Why, I heard it just now from Du Cane."

 

"News travels quickly," said Crouch. "But, a million is rather an

exaggeration Three hundred and eighty thousand is the sum."

 

"And it all goes to a Missionary Society!"

 

"Yes," said Max, "you didn’t expect us to keep it, did you? It was

slave-trade money. We wouldn’t touch a penny of it. Why, it would burn

holes in our pockets."

 

"You see," said Edward, taking his pipe from his mouth, "a chap called

Mayhew--nice sort of fellow from what we saw of him--has gone up into

the very part of the country that we came from. He wants to civilize

the people; and after all, it’s only fair that they should have the

benefit of the money, for it was they who earned it."

 

Crouch got to his feet, and turned his back to the fire.

 

"See?" he asked.

 

"Oh, yes, I see all right," said Williams, somewhat reluctantly,

however. "Of course, you couldn’t very well do anything else, in the

circumstances. But, it seems rather a shame, somehow--when I can’t

raise subscriptions for an expedition to the west coast of Baffin Land."

 

"Look here," said Crouch, "if you think we’re going to take money from

half-starved negroes, who have slept in chains and sweated under the

lash, and give it to you to climb some flaming iceberg, you’re in the

wrong, my friend; and it’s just as well for you to know it."

 

Frankfort Williams laughed. It was the custom in the "Explorers’" for

those who favoured the tropics to scorn the men who were endeavouring to

reach the poles; just as it was for the Arctic adventurers to wax

ironical on the subject of cannibals and mangrove swamps, poisoned

arrow-heads and manioc. Williams talked for some few minutes upon the

current topics of the day, and then left the club.

 

When he was gone, the three friends remained in their old positions

before the fire. Though not a word was said, the thoughts of each

drifted in the same direction. They saw the steaming mist upon a wide,

tropic river; they heard the hum of thousands of insects in their ears,

and the cries of the parrots overhead. They passed over, once again,

the route of their portage from Date Palm Island to Hippo Pool, and set

forth in fancy into the valley of the Hidden River.

 

At last, Crouch got from his chair and, walking to the window, looked

out into the street. The fog had lifted in a fine, drizzling rain.

Shadowy figures hurried past, each with umbrella in hand, whilst the

reflection from the lights of the club windows glistened on the

pavement. The shops had closed. The workers were hurrying home; and

the London that had no need to work was dressing up for dinner. Crouch

swung round upon his heel.

 

"I’m sick of this!" he cried.

 

"So am I," said Edward. "Where shall we go?"

 

Max got to his feet, and fetched down the map.

 

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Publication Date: 03-31-2015

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