Stewart Edward White

“ They impressed a hundred of the natives and dragged the cannon and its ornamental balls down to the wharves. There McCann, perspiring and patriotically faithful, had been discharging cargo. A short delay for rifles and various provisions, and once more the Gwendolin pointed her nose lakeward.
The time passed heavily, even with the Gwendolin forging ahead under a forced draft. The white men smoked interminably, discussed endlessly, jumped up and down, peered through glasses. Lewis was heading back to Irabanga, but there was a chance that the German boat might have taken on cargo and be at sea. ”

“ The elephant-hunter saw by the light of the companion lamp that his face had fallen into more peaceful lines, heard that he hummed under his breath the bars of a song popular five years ago.
"Heine's a good soul," remarked Lewis. "He hogs the trade when he can, and he hogs the piers, and he swills his food, and he's a good deal of a beast in many ways—but he's a good soul."
The next morning the Gwendolin steamed away—after much miscellaneous shrieking inefficiency—leaving the Hohenzollern still gorging n'jugu nuts at the pier. ”

“ The superexcited lunatics in the waist were completely absorbed in technical problems.
"The bally thing will not swing far enough," panted Bobby, tugging at a rope.
"For Heaven's sake, don't jiggle her so; you'll lose all the priming powder," urged Harding.
"Can't you just give her a kick with the screw, old man?" the elephant-hunter implored Lewis.
"She may swing." Lewis obligingly kicked her.
"Great!" howled Bobby, and snatched the cheroot from the elephant-hunter, and pressed it against the end of the fuse. ”

“ A blank pause ensued.
"He thinks we're salutin' the King's birthday!" cried Bobby, disgustedly.
"Heave up that anchor there!" commanded Lewis with decision, "We ought to be ashamed of ourselves!"
Fifteen minutes later Heine leaned on the rail watching the receding smoke of the Gwendolin. He smoked a porcelain pipe.
"So there is war!" he said to himself. "Such foolishness! What does it make for me? Still there are n'jugu nuts. And now I am safe. They will not bother me. There is no defense so good as a laugh." ”

“ They rowed over to the rickety pier and clambered aboard. The Hohenzollern did not differ greatly from the Gwendolin in general arrangement, and they ascended immediately to the wide platform-like upper deck. There the fat man greeted them. He was rotund rather than obese, his complexion was baby pink, his blond hair rose en brosse, and his heavy mustache fell naturally over his lips. Lewis and the elephant-hunter were each of them welcomed by a soft, moist hand-clasp. ”

“ There for many years had stood an old Portuguese cannon of bronze. It was a relic of a hundred years ago, heavily embossed, and of course quite useless save as an ornament. Over this ancient piece the five white men were engaged. Five or six hundred natives squatted interestedly near by.
"The touch-hole is free," Bobby was saying, "I can blow through her."
"The bore is none too good," grunted Browning, who was poking vigorously down the muzzle with a stick. ”

“ There were a dozen false alarms. Bobby Calthrop agitatedly reported black smoke, and the Gwendolin was turned in its direction; but the smoke turned out to be one of those drifting, dense clouds of flies for which the lake was famous. Again they swerved to inspect supposed masts behind an island, and discovered only a native drying rack. It was all most exciting.
"Beats lions," observed Hobart. "Talk about your big game!" ”

“ Heine wagged his ponderous head. "Such foolishness! when they might be on deck at Irabanga with goot friends. Vell, let them kill one another. That makes nothing to us—while the n'jugu nuts still grow."
The two Englishmen rowed back to the Gwendolin two hours later. Lewis was greatly refreshed in spirit, relaxed In mental fiber. He puffed at a final cheroot leisurely and luxuriously, not with the nervous speed of his earlier evening. ”

“ But now a new difficulty supervened. Even these reckless youths saw objections to touching the experimental shot off by hand. Some one produced blasting fuse. But it became necessary to bore out the touch-hole to a larger size. ”