第7章

[WANTS]

REQUIREDIMMEDIATELY，FOREastAfrica，athoroughlycompetentPlaneandDirigibleDriver，acquaintedwithPetrolRadiumandHeliummotorsandgenerators。Low-levelworkonly，butmustunderstandheavy-weightdigs。

MOSSAMEDESTRANSPORTASSOC。

84PalestineBuildings，E。C。

MANWANTED-DIGDRIVERforSouthernAlpswithSaharansummertrips。Highlevels，highspeed。highwages:

ApplyM。SIDNEY

HotelSanStefano。MonteCarlo。

FAMILYDIRIGIBLE。ACOMPETENT，steadymanwantedforslowspeed，lowlevelTangyedirigible。Nonightwork，noseatrips。MustbememberoftheChurchofEngland，andmakehimselfusefulinthegarden。

M。R。

TheRectory，Gray\'sBarton，Wilts。

COMMERCIALDIG，CENTRALandSouthernEurope。Asmart，activemanforaL。M。T。Dig。Nightworkonly。HeadquartersLondonandCairo。Alinguistpreferred。

BAGMAN

CharingCrossHotel，W。C。(urgent。)

FORSALE——ABARGAIN——SinglePlane，narrow-gaugevans，Pinkemotor。Restayedthisautumn。Hansenair-kit，58in。chest，153

collar。Canbeseenbyappointment。

N。2650Thisoffice。

TheBEE-LINEBOOKSHOP

BELT\'SWAY-BOOKS，givingtownlightsforalltownsover4，000

pop。aslaiddownbyA。B。O。

THEWORLD。Complete2vols。ThinOxford，limpback。12L6d。

BELT\'SCOASTALITINERARY。ShortLightsoftheWorld。7s。6d。

THETRANSATLANTICANDMEDITERRANEANTRAFFICLINES。

(ByauthorityoftheA。B。C。)Paper，1s。6d。；cloth。2s。6d。Ready，Jan。16。

ARCTICAEROPLANING。SiemensandGait。Cloth，bds。Ss。6d。

LAVALLE\'SHEARTOFTHECYCLONE，withsupplementarycharts。4s。

6d。

RIMINGTON\'SPITFALLSINTHEAIR，andTableofComparativeDensities3s。6d。

ANGELO\'SDESERTINADIRIGIBLE。Newedition，revised。5s。9d。

VAUGHAN\'SPLANERACINGINCALMANDSTORM。2s。6d。

VAUGHAN\'SHINTSTOTHEAIRMATEUR1s。

HOFMAN\'SLAWSOFLIFTANDVELOCITY。Withdiagrams，3s。6d。

DEVITRE\'STHEORYOFSHIFTINGBALLASTINDIRIGIBLES。2s。6d。

SANGERSWEATHERSOFTHEWORLD。4s。

SANGER\'STEMPERATURESATHIGHALTITUDES。4s。

HAWKIN\'SFOGANDHOWToAVOIDIT。3s。

VANZUYLAN\'SSECONDARYEFFECTSOFTHUNDERSTORMS。4s。6d。

DAHLGREN\'SAIRCURRENTSANDEPIDEMICDISEASES。5s。6d。

REDMAYNE\'SDISEASEANDTHEBAROMETER。7s。6d。

WALTON\'SHEALTHRESORTSOFTHEGOBIANDSHAMO。3s。6d。

WALTON\'STHEPOLEANDPULMONARYCOMPLAINTS。7s。ad。

MUTLOWSHIGHLEVELBACTERIOLOGY。7s。6d。

HALLIWELL\'SILLUMINATEDSTARMAP，withclockworkattachment，givingapparentmotionofheavens，boxed，completewithclampsforbinnacle，36inchsize，onlyL2。2。0。

Invaluablefornightwork。)WithA。B。C。certificate。L3。10s。

0d。Zalinski\'sStandardWorks:

PASSESOFTHEHIMALAYAS，5s。

PASSESOFTHESIERRAS，5s。

PASSESOFTHEROOKIES。5s。

PASSESOFTHEURALS，5s。

Thefourboxed，limpcloth，withcharts，15s。

GRAY\'SAIRCURRENTSatMOUNTAINGORGES，7s。6d。

A。C。BELT&SON，READING

SAFETYWEARFORAERONAUTS

Fickers!Flickers!Flickers!

HIGHLEVELFLICKERS

"Hethatisdownneedfearnofall，"

Fearnot!Youwillfalllightlyasdown!

Hansen\'sair-kitsaredowninallrespects。Tremendousreductionsinpricesprevioustowinterstocking。Pureparakitwithcelluloseseatandshoulder-pads，weightedtobalance。Unequalledforalldrop-work。

Ourtreblyresilientheavykitistheneplusultraofcomfortandsafety。

Gas-buoyed，waterproof，hail-proof，nonconductingFlickerswithpipeandnozzlefittingalltypesofgenerator。Graduatedtaponlefthip。

Hansen\'sFlickersLeadtheAerialFlight197OxfordStreetThenewweightedFlickerwithtweedorcheviotsurfacecannotbedistinguishedfromtheordinarysuittillinflated。

Fickers!Flickers!Flickers!

APPLIANCESFORAIRPLANES

What"SKID"

wastoourforefathersontheground，"PITCH"

istotheirsonsintheair。

Thepopularityofthelarge，unwieldy，slow，expensiveDirigibleoverthelightswift，Planeismainlyduetotheformer\'simmunityfrompitch。

Collison\'sforward-socketedAirVanrendersitimpossibleforanyplanetopitch。TheC。F。S。isautomatic，simpleasashutter，certain\\asapowerhammer，safeasoxygen。Fittedtoanymakeofplane。

COLLISON

186BromptonRoadWorkshops，ChiswickLUNDIEdoMATTERS

SoleAgtsforEast\'nHemisphere

STARTERSANDGUIDES

Hotel，club，andprivatehouseplane-starters，slipsandguidesaffixedbyskilledworkmeninaccordancewithlocalbuildinglaws。

Rackstraww\'sforty-footcollapsiblesteelstarterswithautomaticreleaseatendoftravel——pricesperfootrun，clampsandcramponsincluded。Thesafestonthemarket。

Weaver&DenisonMiddleboro

AIRPLANESANDDIRIGIBLEGOODS

REMEMBER

Planesareswift——soisDeathPlanesarecheap——soisLifeWhydoestheplanebuilderinsistonthesafetyofhismachines？

Methinksthegentlemanproteststoomuch。

TheStandardDigConstructionCompanydonotbuildkites。

Theybuild，equipandguaranteedirigibles。

StandardDigconstructionCo。

MillwallandBuenosAyres

HOVERS

POWELL\'S

WindHoversfor\'planeslying-toinheavyweather，savethemotorandstrainontheforebody。Willnotsendtoleeward。"Albatross"

wind-hovers，rigid-ribbed；accordingtoh。p。andweight。

Wefitandtestfreeto40eastofGreenwichVillageL。&W。POWELL

196VictoriaStreet，W。

REMEMBER

Weshallalwaysbepleasedtoseeyou。

Webuildandtestandguaranteeourdirigiblesorallpurposes。

Theygoupwhenyoupleaseandtheydonotcomedowntillyouplease。

Youcanpleaseyourself，but——youmightaswellchooseadirigible。

STANDARDDIRIGIBLECONSTRUCTIONCO。

MillwallandBuenosAyres

GAYERANDHUNT

BirminghamandBirminghamEng。Ala。

Towers。LandingStages，SlipsandLiftspublicandprivateContractorstotheA。B。C。，South-WesternEuropeanPostalConstructionDept。SolepatenteesandownersoftheCollisonanti-quakediagonaltower-tie。OnlygoldmedalKyotoExhibitionofAerialAppliances，1997。

AIRPLANESANDDIRIGIBLES

C。M。C。

OurSyntheticalMineralBEARINGS

arechemicallyandcrystallogicallyidenticalwiththemineralswhosenamestheybear。Anysize，anysurface。Diamond，Rock-Crystal，AgateandRubyBearings-cups，capsandcollarsforthehigherspeeds。Fortractorbearingsandspindles-Imperative。

Forrearpropellers-Indispensable。Forallworkingparts-Advisable。

CommercialMineralsCo。

107Minories

RESURGAM!

IfyouhavenotClothedYOURSELFinaNORMANDIERESURGAM

YOUWILLPROBABLYNOTBEINTERESTEDINOURNEXTWEEK\'SLISTOF

AIR-KIT。

RESURGAMAIR-KITEMPORIUM

HYMANS&GRAHAM

1198LowerBroadway，NewYork

REMEMBER!

*Itisnownearly，agenerationsincethePlanewastosupersedetheDirigibleforallpurposes。*TO-DAYnoneofthePlanet\'sfreightiscarriedenplane。*LessthantwoperrentofthePlanet\'spassengersarecarriedenplane。

Wedesign，equipguaranteeDirigiblesforallpurposes。

StandardDigConstructionCompanyMILLWALLandBUENOSAYRES

BAT-BOATS

FLINT&MANTEL

SOUTHAMPTON

FORSALE

attheendofSeasonthefollowingBat-Boats:

GRISELDA，65knt。，42ft。，430(nom。)MaginnisMotor，under-rakerudder。

MABELLE，50knt。，40ft。，310HargreavesMotor，Douglas\'lock-steeringgear。

IVEMONA，50knt。，35ft。，300Hargreaves(Radiumaccelerator)，Millerkeelandrudder。

TheabovearewellknownontheSouthCoastassound，wholesomeknockaboutboats，withamplecruisingaccommodation。GriseldacarriessparesetofHofmanracingvansandcanbeliedthreefootclearinsmoothwaterwithballast-tankswungaft。Theothersdonotlift，clearofwater，andarerecommendedforbeginners。

Also，byprivatetreaty，racingB。B。Tarpon(76winningflags)

120knt。，60ft。；Long-Davidsondoubleunder-rakerudder，newthisseasonandunstrained。850nom。Maginnismotor，RadiumrelaysandPondgenerator。Bronzebreakwaterforward，andtreblereinforcedforefootandentry。Talfourdrockeredkeel:TriplesetofHofmanvans，givingmaximumliftingsurfaceof5327sq。ft。

Tarpon-hasbeenliftedandheldsevenfeetfortwomilesbetweentouchandtouch。

OurAutumnListofracingandfamilyBatsreadyonthe9thJanuary。

AIRPLANESANDSTARTERS

HINKSMODERATOR

Monorailoverheadstarterforfamilyandprivateplanesuptotwenty-fivefootoverallAbsolutelySafeHinks&Co……Birmingham

J。D。ARDAGH

IAMNOTCONCERNEDWITHYOURPLANEIAFTERITLEAVESMYGUIDES，BUTTILLTHENIHOLDMYSELFPERSONALLYRESPONSIBLEFORYOURLIFE，SAFETY，ANDCOMFORT。MYHYDRAULICBUFFER-STOPCANNOTRELEASE

TILLTHEMOTORSAREWORKINGUPTOBEARINGSPEED，THUSSECURING

ASAFEANDGRACEFULFLIGHTWITHOUTPITCHING。

Rememberourmotto，"UpwardandOutward，"

anddonottrustyourselftoso-called"rigid"guide-barsJ。D。ARDAGH，BELFASTANDTURIN

ACCESSORIESANDSPARES

CHRISTIANWRIGHT&OLDIS

ESTABLISHED1924

ACCESSORIESandSPARES

HoodedBinnacleswithdip-dialsautomaticallyrecordingchangeoflevel(illuminatedface)。

Allheightsfrom50to15，000feetL2100

WithAerialBoardofControlcertificateL3110

FootandHandFoghoms；Sirenstonedtoanyclubnote；withair-chestbelt-drivenhornmotorL680

WirelessinstallationssyntonisedtoA。B。C。requirements，inneatmahoganycase，hundredmilerangeL330

Grapnels，mushroom——anchors，pithing-irons，winches，hawsers，snaps，shacklesandmooringropes，forlawn，city，andpublicinstallations。

Detachableunder-cars，aluminumorstampedsteel。

Keeledunder-carsforplanes:single-actiondetaching-gear，turningcarintoboatwithonemotionofthewrist。Invaluableforseatrips。

Head，side，andridinglights(bysize)Nos。00to20A。B。C。

Standard。Rocketsandfog-bombsincoloursandtonesoftheprincipalclubs(boxed)。

AselectionoftwentyL2176

Internationalnight-signals(boxed)L1116

Sparegeneratorsguaranteedtoliftingpowermarkedoncover(pricesaccordingtopower)。

Wind-nosesfordirigibles——Pegamoid，cane-stiffened，lacqueredcaneoraluminumandfluxforwinterwork。

Smoke-ringcannonforhailstorms，swivelmounted，boworstern。

Propellerblades:metal，tungstenbacked；paper-machewirestiffened；ribbedXylonite(Nickson\'spatent)；allrazor-edged(pricebypitchanddiameter)。

Compressedsteelbow-screwsforwinterwork。

FusedRubyorCommercialMineralCo。bearingsandcollars。

Agate-mountedthrust-blocksupto4inch。

Magniac\'sbow-rudders——(Lavalespatentgrooving)。

Wovesteelbeltingsforoutboardmotors(nonmagnetic)。

Radiumbatteries，allpowersto150h。p。(inpairs)。

Heliumbatteries，allpowersto300h。p。(tandem)。

Stun\'slebrakesworkedfromupperorlowerplatform。

Directplunge-brakesworkedfromlowerplatformonly，loadedsilkorfibre，wind-tight。

CATALOGUESFREETHROUGHOUTTHEPLANET

THEFOURANGELS

AsADAMlaya-dreamingbeneaththeAppleTree，TheAngeloftheEarthcamedown，andofferedEarthinfee。

ButAdamdidnotneedit，Northeploughhewouldnotspeedit，Singing:——"EarthandWater，AirandFire，Whatmorecanmortalmandesire？"

(TheAppleTree\'sinbud。)

AsAdamlaya-dreamingbeneaththeAppleTree，TheAngeloftheWatersofferedalltheSeasinfee。

ButAdamwouldnottake\'em，Northeshipshewouldn\'tmake\'em，Singing:——"Water，EarthandAirandFire，Whatmorecanmortalmandesire？"

(TheAppleTree\'sinleaf。)

AsAdamlaya-dreamingbeneaththeAppleTree，TheAngeloftheAirheofferedalltheAirinfee。

ButAdamdidnotcraveit，Northeflighthewouldn\'tbraveit，Singing:——"AirandWater，EarthandFire，Whatmorecanmortalmandesire？"

(TheAppleTree\'sinbloom。)

AsAdamlaya-dreamingbeneaththeAppleTree，TheAngeloftheFireroseupandnotawordsaidhe。

Buthewishedafireandmadeit，AndinAdam\'shearthelaidit，Singing——"Fire，fire，burningFire，Standupandreachyourheart\'sdesire!"

(TheAppleBlossom\'sset。)

AsAdamwasa-workingoutsideofEden-Wall，HeusedtheEarth，heusedtheSeas，heusedtheAirandall；

AndoutofblackdisasterHearosetobethemasterOfEarthandWater，AirandFire，Butneverreachedhisheart\'sdesire!

(TheAppleTree\'scutdown!)

ADEALINCOTTON

Longandlongago，whenDevadattawasKingofBenares，IwrotesometalesconcerningStricklandofthePunjabPolice(whomarriedMissYoughal)，andAdam，hisson。StricklandhasfinishedhisIndianService，andlivesnowataplaceinEnglandcalledWeston-super-Mare，wherehiswifeplaystheorganinoneofthechurches。Semi-occasionallyhecomesuptoLondon，andoccasionallyhiswifemakeshimvisithisfriends。Otherwiseheplaysgolfandfollowstheharriersforhisfigure\'ssake。

IfyourememberthatInfantwhotoldataletoEustaceCleeverthenovelist，youwillrememberthathebecameabaronetwithavastestate。Hehas，owingtocookery，alittlelosthisfigure，butheneverloseshisfriends。Ihavefoundawingofhishouseturnedintoahospitalforsickmen，andthereIoncespentaweekinthecompanyoftwodismalnursesandaspecialistin"Sprue。"Anothertimetheplacewasfullofschoolboys——sonsofAnglo-IndianswhomtheInfanthadcollectedfortheholidays，andtheynearlybrokehiskeeper\'sheart。

Butmylastvisitwasbetter。TheInfantcalledmeupbywire，andIfellintothearmsofafriendofmine，ColonelA。L。

Corkran，sothattheyearsdepartedfromus，andwepraisedAllah，whohadnotyetterminatedtheDelights，norseparatedtheCompanions。

SaidCorkran，whenhehadexplainedhowitfelttocommandanativeInfantryregimentontheborder:"TheStricksarecomingforto-night-withtheirboy。"

"Irememberhim。ThelittlefellowIwroteastoryabout，"I

said。"IsheintheService？"

"No。StrickgothimintotheCentro-Euro-AfricaProtectorate。

He\'sAssistant-CommissioneratDupe——whereverthatis。

Somaliland，ain\'tit，Stalky？"askedtheInfant。

Stalkypuffedouthisnostrilsscornfully。"You\'reonlythreethousandmilesout。Lookattheatlas。"

"Anyhow，he\'sasrottenfulloffeverastherestofyou，"saidtheInfant，atlengthonthebigdivan。"Andhe\'sbringinganativeservantwithhim。Stalkybeanathlete，andtellIppstoputhiminthestableroom。"

"Why？IsheaYao——likethefellowWadebroughthere——whenyourhousekeeperhadfits？"StalkyoftenvisitstheInfant，andhasseensomeoddthings。

"No。He\'soneofoldStrickland\'sPunjabipolicemen——andquiteEuropean——Ibelieve。"

"Hooray!Haven\'ttalkedPunjabiforthreemonths——andaPunjabifromCentralAfricaoughttobeamusin\'。"

Weheardthechuffofthemotorintheporch，andthefirsttoenterwasAgnesStrickland，whomtheInfantmakesnosecretofadoring。

Heisdevoted，inafatman\'splacidway，toatleasteightdesigningwomen；butshenursedhimoncethroughabadboutofPeshawurfever，andwhensheisinthehouse，itismorethanallhers。

"Youdidn\'tsendrugsenough，"shebegan。"Adammighthavetakenachill。"

"It\'squitewarminthetonneau。Whydidyoulethimrideinfront？"

"Becausehewantedto，"shereplied，withthemother\'ssmile，andwewereintroducedtotheshadowofayoungmanleaningheavilyontheshoulderofabeardedPunjabiMohammedan。

"Thatisallthatcamehomeofhim，"saidhisfathertome。TherewasnothinginitofthechildwithwhomIhadjourneyedtoDalhousiecenturiessince。"

"Andwhatisthisuniform？"StalkyaskedofImamDin，theservant，whocametoattentiononthemarblefloor。

"TheuniformoftheProtectoratetroops，Sahib。ThoughIamtheLittleSahib\'sbody-servant，itisnotseemlyforuswhitementobeattendedbyfolkdressedaltogetherasservants。"

"And——andyouwhitemenwaitattableonhorseback？"Stalkypointedtotheman\'sspurs。

"TheseIaddedforthesakeofhonourwhenIcametoEngland，"

saidImamDinAdamsmiledtheghostofalittlesmilethatI

begantoremember，andweputhimonthebigcouchforrefreshments。Stalkyaskedhimhowmuchleavehehad，andhesaid"Sixmonths。"

"Buthe\'lltakeanothersixonmedicalcertificate，"saidAgnesanxiously。Adamknithisbrows。

"Youdon\'twantto——eh？Iknow。Wonderwhatmysecondincommandisdoing。"Stalkytuggedhismoustache，andfelltothinkingofhisSikhs。

"Ah!"saidtheInfant。"I\'veonlyafewthousandpheasantstolookafter。Comealonganddressfordinner。We\'rejustourselves。Whatflowerisyourhonour\'sladyshipcommandingforthetable？"

"Justourselves？"shesaid，lookingatthecrotonsinthegreathall。"Thenlet\'shavemarigoldsthelittlecemeteryones。"

Soitwasordered。

Now，marigoldstousmeanhotweather，discomfort，parting，anddeath。Thatsmellinournostrils，andAdam\'sservantinwaiting，wenaturallyfellbackmoreandmoreontheoldslang，recallingateachglassthosewhohadgonebefore。Wedidnotsitatthebigtable，butinthebaywindowoverlookingthepark，wheretheywerecartingthelastofthehay。Whentwilightfellwewouldnothavecandles，butwaitedforthemoon，andcontinuedourtalkintheduskthatmakesoneremember。

YoungAdamwasnotinterestedinourpastexceptwhereithadtouchedhisfuture。Ithinkhismotherheldhishandbeneaththetable。ImamDin——shoeless，outofrespecttothefloors——broughthimhismedicine，poureditdropbydrop，andaskedfororders。

"Waittotakehimtohiscotwhenhegrowsweary，"saidhismother，andImamDinretiredintotheshadowbytheancestralportraits。

"Nowwhatd\'youexpecttogetoutofyourcountry？"theInfantasked，when——ourIndialaidasidewetalkedAdam\'sAfrica。Itrousedhimatonce。

"Rubber-nuts-gums-andsoon，"hesaid。"Butourrealfutureiscotton。IgrewfiftyacresofitlastyearinmyDistrict。"

"MyDistrict!"saidhisfather。"Hearhim，Mummy!"

"Ididthough!IwishIcouldshowyouthesample。SomeManchesterchapssaiditwasasgoodasanySeaIslandcottononthemarket。"

"Butwhatmadeyouacotton-planter，myson？"sheasked。

"MyChiefsaideverymanoughttohaveashouk(ahobby)ofsorts，andhetookthetroubletorideadayoutofhiswaytoshowmeabeltofblacksoilthatwasjustthethingforcotton。"

"Ah!WhatwasyourChieflike？"Stalkyasked，inhissilkiesttones。

"Thebestmanalive——absolutely。Heletsyoublowyourownnoseyourself。Thepeoplecallhim"——Adamjerkedoutsomeheathenphrase——"thatmeanstheManwiththeStoneEyes，youknow。"

"I\'mgladofthat。BecauseI\'veheardfromotherquarters"

Stalky\'ssentenceburnedlikeaslowmatch，buttheexplosionwasnotlongdelayed。"Otherquarters!"Adamthrewoutathinhand。

"Everydoghashisfleas。Ifyoulistentothem，ofcourse!"TheshakeofhisheadwasasIremembereditamonghisfather\'spolicementwentyyearsbefore，andhismother\'seyesshiningthroughtheduskcalledonmetoadoreit。IkickedStalkyontheshin。Onemustnotmockayoungman\'sfirstloveorloyalty。

Alumpofrawcottonappearedonthetable。

"Ithoughttheremightbeaneed。ThereforeIpackeditbetweenourshirts，"saidthevoiceofImamDin。

"DoesheknowasmuchEnglishasthat？"criedtheInfant，whohadforgottenhisEast。

WealladmiredthecottonforAdam\'ssake，and，indeed，itwasverylongandglossy。

"It\'s——it\'sonlyanexperiment，"hesaid。"We\'resuchawfulpauperswecan\'tevenpayforamailcartinmyDistrict。Weuseabiscuit-boxontwobicyclewheels。Ionlygotthemoneyforthat"——hepattedthestuff——"byapurefluke。"

"Howmuchdiditcost？"askedStrickland。

"Withseedandmachinery——abouttwohundredpounds。Ihadthelabourdonebycannibals。"

"Thatsoundspromising。"Stalkyreachedforafreshcigarette。

"No，thankyou，"saidAgnes。"I\'vebeenatWeston-super-Marealittletoolongforcannibals。I\'llgotothemusic-roomandtryovernextSunday\'shymns。"

Sheliftedtheboy\'shandlightlytoherlips，andtrippedacrosstheacresofglimmeringfloortothemusic-roomthathadbeentheInfant\'sancestors\'banquetinghall。Hergreyandsilverdressdisappearedunderthemusicians\'gallery；twoelectricsbrokeout，andshestoodbackedagainstthelinesofgildedpipes。

"There\'sanabominableself-playingattachmenthere!"shecalled。

"Me!"theInfantanswered，hisnapkinonhisshoulder。"That\'showIplayParsifal。"

"Ipreferthedirectexpression。Takeitaway，Ipps。"

WeheardoldIppsskatingobedientlyalloverthefloor。

"Nowforthedirectexpression，"saidStalky，andmovedontheBurgundyrecommendedbythefacultytoenrichfever-thinnedblood。

"It\'snothingmuch。Onlythebeltofcotton-soilmychiefshowedmeranrightintotheSheshahelicountry。Wehaven\'tbeenabletoprovecannibalismagainstthattribeinthecourts；butwhenaSheshahelioffersyoufourpoundsofwoman\'sbreast，tattoomarksandall，skeweredupinaplantainleafbeforebreakfast，you——"

"Naturallyburnthevillagesbeforelunch，"saidStalky。

Adamshookhishead。"Notroops，"hesighed。"ItoldmyChiefaboutit，andhesaidwemustwaittilltheychoppedawhiteman。

HeadvisedmeifeverIfeltlikeitnottocommita——abarrenfelodese，buttolettheSheshahelidoit。Thenhecouldreport，andthenwecouldmop\'emup!"

"Mostimmoral!That\'showwegot——"Stalkyquotedthenameofaprovincewonbyjustsuchasacrifice。

"Yes，butthebeastsdominatedoneendofmycotton-beltlikeanything。TheychiviedmeoutofitwhenIwenttotakesoilforanalysis——meandImamDin。"

"Sahib!Isthereaneed？"Thevoicecameoutofthedarkness，andtheeyesshoneoverAdam\'sshoulderereitceased。

"None。Thenamewastakenintalk。"Adamabolishedhimwithaturnofthefinger。"Icouldn\'tmakeacasusbelliofitjustthen，becausemyChiefhadtakenallthetroopstohammeragangofslavekingsupnorth。DidyoueverhearofourwaragainstIbnMakarrah？HepreciousnearlylostustheProtectorateatonetime，thoughhe\'sanallyofoursnow。"

"Wasn\'theratheraperniciousbrute，evenastheygo？"saidStalky。"Wadetoldmeabouthimlastyear。"

"Well，hisnicknameallthroughthecountrywas\'TheMerciful，\'

andhedidn\'tgetthatfornothing。Noneofourpeopleeverbreathedhispropername。Theysaid\'He\'or\'ThatOne，\'andtheydidn\'tsayitaloud，either。Hefoughtusforeightmonths。"

"Iremember。Therewasaparagraphaboutitinoneofthepapers，"Isaid。

"Webrokehim，though。No——theslaversdon\'tcomeourway，becauseourmenhavethereputationofdyingtoomuch，thefirstmonthafterthey\'recaptured。Thatknocksdownprofits，yousee。"

"Whataboutyourcharmingfriends，theSheshahelis？"saidtheInfant。

"There\'snomarketforSheshaheli。Peoplewouldassoonbuycrocodiles。Ibelieve，beforeweannexedthecountry，IbnMakarrahdroppeddownon\'emonce——totrainhisyoungmen——andsimplyhewed\'eminpieces。Thebulkofmypeopleareagriculturistsjusttherightstampforcotton-growers。What\'sMotherplaying？——\'Onceinroyal\'？"

Theorganthathadbeencrooningashappilyasawomanoverherbaberestored，steadiedtoatune。

"Magnificent!Oh，magnificent!"saidtheInfantloyally。Ihadneverheardhimsingbutonce，andthen，thoughitwasearlyinthetolerantmorning，hismesshadrolledhimintoalotuspond。

"Howdidyougetyourcannibalstoworkforyou？"askedStrickland。

"TheygotconvertedtocivilizationaftermyChiefsmashedIbnMakarrah——justatthetimeIwanted\'em。YouseemyChiefhadpromisedmeinwritingthatifIcouldscrapeupasurplushewouldnotbagitforhisroadsthistime，butImighthaveitformycottongame。Ionlyneededtwohundredpounds。Ourrevenuesdidn\'truntoit。"

"Whatisyourrevenue？"Stalkyaskedinthevernacular。

"Withhut-tax，traders\'gameandmininglicenses，notmorethanfourteenthousandrupees；everypennyofitear-markedmonthsahead。"Adamsighed。

"AlsothereisafinefordogsstrayingintheSahib\'scamp。Lastyearitexceededthreerupees，"ImamDinsaidquietly。

"Well，Ithoughtthatwasfair。Theyhowledso。Wewereratherstrictonfines。Iworkedupmynativeclerk——BulakiRam——toaferociouspitchofenthusiasm。Heusedtocalculatetheprofitsofourcotton-schemetothreepointsofdecimals，afteroffice。I

tellyouIenviedyourmagistratesherehaulingmoneyoutofmotoristseveryweekIhadmanagedtomakeourordinaryrevenueandexpenditurejustaboutmeet，andIwascrazytogettheoddtwohundredpoundsformycotton。Thatsortofthinggrowsonachapwhenhe\'salone——andtalksaloud!"

"Hul-lo!Haveyoubeentherealready？"thefathersaid，andAdamnodded。

"Yes。UsedtospoutwhatIcouldrememberof\'Marmion\'toatree，sir。Wellthenmyluckturned。OneeveninganEnglish-speakingniggercameintowingacorpsebythefeet。(Yougetusedtolittlethingslikethat。)Hesaidhe\'dfoundit，andpleasewouldIidentify，becauseifitwasoneofIbnMakarrah\'smentheremightbeareward。ItwasanoldMohammedan，withastrongdashofArab——asmallboned，bald-headedchap，andIwasjustwonderinghowithadkeptsowellinourclimatewhenitsneezed。Yououghttohaveseenthenigger!Hefetchedahowlandboltedlike——likethedogin\'TomSawyer，\'whenhesatonthewhat\'s-its-namebeetle。Heyelpedasheran，andthecorpsewentonsneezing。I

couldseeithadbeensarkied。(That\'sasortofgum-poison，pater，whichattacksthenervecentres。Ourchiefmedicalofficeriswritingamonographaboutit。)SoImamDinandIemptiedoutthecorpseonetime，withmyshavingsoapandtradegunpowder，andhotwater。

"I\'dseenacaseofsarkiebefore；sowhentheskinpeeledoffhisfeet，andhestoppedsneezing，Iknewhe\'dlive。Hewasbad，though；laylikealogforaweekwhileImamDinandImassagedtheparalysisoutofhim。ThenhetoldushewasaHajji——hadbeenthreetimestoMecca——comeinfromFrenchAfrica，andthathe\'dmettheniggerbythewayside——justlikeacaseofthuggee，inIndia——andtheniggerhadpoisonedhim。ThatseemedreasonableenoughbywhatIknewofCoastniggers。"

"Youbelievedhim？"saidhisfatherkeenly。

"TherewasnoreasonIshouldn\'t。Theniggernevercameback，andtheoldmanstayedwithmefortwomonths，"Adamreturned。"YouknowwhatthebesttypeofaMohammedangentlemancanbe，pater？

Hewasthat。"

"Nonefiner，nonefiner，"wastheanswer。

"ExceptaSikh，"Stalkygrunted。

"He\'dbeentoBombay；heknewFrenchAfricainsideout；hecouldquotepoetryandtheKoranalldaylong。Heplayedchess——youdon\'tknowwhatthatmeanttome-likeamaster。WeusedtotalkabouttheregenerationofTurkeyandtheSheik-ul-Islambetweenmoves。Oh，everythingunderthesunwetalkedabout!Hewasawfullyopen-minded。Hebelievedinslavery，ofcourse，buthequitesawthatitwouldhavetodieout。That\'swhyheagreedwithmeaboutdevelopingtheresourcesofthedistrictbycotton-growing，youknow。"

"Youtalkedofthattoo？"saidStrickland。

"Rather。Wediscusseditforhours。Youdon\'tknowwhatitmeanttome。Awonderfulman。ImamDin，wasnotourHajjimarvellous？"

"Mostmarvellous!ItwasallthroughtheHajjithatwefoundthemoneyforourcotton-play。"ImamDinhadmoved，Ifancy，behindStrickland\'schair。

"Yes。Itmusthavebeendeadagainsthisconvictionstoo。HebroughtmenewswhenIwasdownwithfeveratDupethatoneofIbnMakarrah\'smenwasparadingthroughmyDistrictwithabunchofslaves——intheFork!"

"What\'sthematterwiththeFork，thatyoucan\'tabideit？"saidStalky。Adam\'svoicehadrisenatthelastword。

"Localetiquette，sir，"hereplied，tooearnesttonoticeStalky\'satrociouspun。"IfaslaverrunsslavesthroughBritishterritoryheoughttopretendthatthey\'rehisservants。Hawkin\'

\'emaboutintheFork——theforkedstickthatyouputroundtheirnecks，youknow——isinsolence——sameasnotbackingyourtopsailsintheolddays。Besides，itunsettlestheDistrict。"

"Ithoughtyousaidslaversdidn\'tcomeyourway，"Iputin。

"Theydon\'t。ButmyChiefwassmoking\'emoutoftheNorthallthatseason，andtheywereboltingintoFrenchterritoryanyroadtheycouldfind。Myordersweretotakenonoticesolongastheycirculated，butopenslave-dealingintheFork，wastoomuch。I

couldn\'tgomyself，soItoldacoupleofourMakalalipoliceandImamDintomaketalkwiththegentlemanonetime。Itwasratherrisky，anditmighthavebeenexpensive，butitturneduptrumps。

Theywerebackinafewdayswiththeslaver(hedidn\'tshowfight)andawholecrowdofwitnesses，andwetriedhiminmybedroom，andfinedhimproperly。Justtoshowyouhowdemoralizedthebrutemusthavebeen(Arabsoftengodottyafteradefeat)，he\'dsnappedupfourorfiveutterlyuselessSheshaheli，andwasoffering\'emtoallandsundryalongtheroad。Why，heoffered\'emtoyou，didn\'the，ImamDin？"

"Iwaswitnessthatheofferedman-eaters\'forsale，"saidImamDin。

"Luckilyformycotton-scheme，thatlanded，himbothways。Yousee，hehadslavedandexposedslavesforsaleinBritishterritory。ThatmeantthedoublefineifIcouldgetitoutofhim。"

"Whatwashisdefence？"saidStrickland，lateofthePunjabPolice。

"AsfarasIremember——butIhadatemperatureof104degreesatthetime——he\'dmistakenthemeridiansoflongitude。ThoughthewasinFrenchterritory。Saidhe\'dneverdoitagain，ifwe\'dlethimoffwithafine。Icouldhaveshakenhandswiththebruteforthat。Hepaidupcashlikeamotoristandwentoffonetime。"

"Didyouseehim？"

"Ye-es。Didn\'tI，ImamDin？"

"AssuredlytheSahibbothsawandspoketotheslaver。AndtheSahibalsomadeaspeechtotheman-eaterswhenhefreedthem，andtheysworetosupplyhimwithlabourforallhiscotton-play。

TheSahibleanedonhisownservant\'sshoulderthewhile。"

"Iremembersomethingofthat。IrememberBulakiRamgivingmethepaperstosign，andIdistinctlyrememberhimlockingupthemoneyinthesafe——twohundredandtenbeautifulEnglishsovereigns。Youdon\'tknowwhatthatmeanttome!Ibelieveitcuredmyfever；andassoonasIcould，IstaggeredoffwiththeHajjitointerviewtheSheshaheliaboutlabour。ThenIfoundoutwhytheyhadbeensokeentowork!Itwasn\'tgratitude。Theirbigvillagehadbeenhitbylightningandburnedoutaweekortwobefore，andtheylayflatinrowsaroundmeaskingmeforajob。

Igaveit\'em。"

"Andsoyouwereveryhappy？"Hismotherhadstolenupbehindus。

"Youlikedyourcotton，dear？"Shetidiedthelumpaway。

"ByJove，Iwashappy!"Adamyawned。"Nowifanyone，"helookedattheInfant，"carestoputalittlemoneyintothescheme，it\'llbethemakingofmyDistrict。Ican\'tgiveyoufigures，sir，butIassure——"

"You\'lltakeyourarsenic，andImamDin\'lltakeyouuptobed，andI\'llcomeandtuckyouin。"

Agnesleanedforward，herroundedelbowsonhisshoulders，handsjoinedacrosshisdarkhair，and"Isn\'theadarling？"shesaidtous，withjustthesameheart-rendinglifttothelefteyebrowandthesamebreakofhervoiceassentStricklandmadamongthehorsesintheyear\'84。Wewerequietwhentheyweregone。WewaitedtillImamDinreturnedtousfromaboveandcoughedatthedoor，asonlydark-heartedAsiacan。

"Now，"saidStrickland，"telluswhattrulybefell，sonofmyservant。"

"AllbefellasourSahibhassaid。Only——onlytherewasanarrangement——alittlearrangementonaccountofhiscotton-play。"

"Tell!Sit!Ibegyourpardon，Infant，"saidStrickland。

ButtheInfanthadalreadymadethesign，andweheardImamDinhunkerdownonthefloor:OnegetslittleoutoftheEastatattention。

"WhenthefevercameonourSahibinourroofedhouseatDupe，"

hebegan，"theHajjilistenedintentlytohistalk。Heexpectedthenamesofwomen；thoughIhadalreadytoldhimthatOurvirtuewasbeyondbelieforcompare，andthatOursoledesirewasthiscotton-play。Beingatlastconvinced，theHajjibreathedonourSahib\'sforehead，tosinkintohisbrainnewsconcerningaslave-dealerinhisdistrictwhohadmadeamockofthelaw。

Sahib，"ImamDinturnedtoStrickland，"ourSahibansweredtothosefalsewordsasahorseofbloodanswerstothespur。Hesatup。Heissuedordersfortheapprehensionoftheslavedealer。

Thenhefellback。Thenwelefthim。"

"Alone——servantofmyson，andsonofmyservant？"saidhisfather。

"TherewasanoldwomanwhichbelongedtotheHajji。ShehadcomeinwiththeHajji\'smoney-belt。TheHajjitoldherthatifourSahibdied，shewoulddiewithhim。AndtrulyourSahibhadgivenmeorderstodepart。"

"Beingmadwithfever——eh？"

"Whatcouldwedo，Sahib？Thiscotton-playwashisheart\'sdesire。Hetalkedofitinhisfever。Thereforeitwashisheart\'sdesirethattheHajjiwenttofetch。DoubtlesstheHajjicouldhavegivenhimmoneyenoughoutofhandfortencottonplays；butinthisrespectalsoourSahib\'svirtuewasbeyondbelieforcompare。GreatOnesdonotexchangemoneys。

ThereforetheHajjisaid——andIhelpedwithmycounsel——thatwemustmakearrangementstogetthemoneyinallrespectsconformablewiththeEnglishLaw。Itwasgreattroubletous，but——theLawistheLaw。AndtheHajjishowedtheoldwomantheknifebywhichshewoulddieifourSahibdied。SoIaccompaniedtheHajji。"

"Knowingwhohewas？"saidStrickland。

"No!Fearingtheman。Avirtuewentoutfromhimoverbearingthevirtueoflesserpersons。TheHajjitoldBulakiRamtheclerktooccupytheseatofgovernmentatDupetillourreturn。BulakiRamfearedtheHajji，becausetheHajjihadoftengloatinglyappraisedhisskillinfiguresatfivethousandrupeesuponanyslave-block。TheHajjithensaidtome:\'Come，andwewillmaketheman-eatersplaythecotton-gameformydelight\'sdelight\'TheHajjilovedourSahibwiththeloveofafatherforhisson，ofasavedforhissaviour，ofaGreatOneforaGreatOne。ButI