Timbo

“ As I laid him face downwards, so that I might administer chastisement, he twisted his little curly head round and looked appealingly up at me with his big brown eyes: as if to say: “Oh, noble white man from the far-off moral integrity of Western civilisation, may I beg of you to overlook the sad indiscretion of a Samoan child?” That part whereon I was about to administer justice looked so small and helpless that I did that which I should have liked to have been done to me in my earlier years, for I relented and stood Timbo on his feet. ”

“ The mountains which form it have their nucleus at Timbo, where their distinction into separate ranges is totally lost. Thence one range diverges to the north, and another to the east, and it is remarkable that the divisions of the countries or states correspond with the physical regions. Thus in the country called Fouta-Dhialon, Timbo and its mountains are the sources of the Rio-Grande, the Gambia, the Falemé, the Senegal, &c. The Soulimana and its fountains are the source of the Dhioliba on the one side, and the Rokelle and the Mungo take their rise on the other. ”

“ We lay still as death. The dogs, I should have said, had been muzzled, and stowed away under the waggon, where they remained quiet. Closer and closer the blacks advanced. “Dey t’ink dey climb over and we not know,” whispered Timbo. “Now, see!”
We let the blacks get close to the palisades. They were touching them, expecting without difficulty to climb over, when at a word from Stanley up we all started, firing directly in their faces. ”

“ Captain, you kill Miss Kate and Miss Bella wid fright if you go away like dis.” Timbo had evidently scarcely recovered his alarm at the risk his master had run.
“Well, well, Timbo,” answered Stanley; “you see we have done our duty and performed our promise. Three man-eaters lie dead, and I hope we may bag the remainder before many days are over.”
The blacks were very anxious to get us all to go to their village, that they might treat us with honour, and thank us for the services we had rendered, and for the ample supply of meat which our success had procured. ”

“ Another confirmation is drawn from the position of Cambaya, in respect to Timbo, which latter, according to the natives, bears W. S. W. at two days’ journey from Cambaya. Here, then, are five points well connected together, Teléouel, Labé, Dité, Timbo, and Cambaya, forming a whole, the main support of which rests upon Timbo [52] . From the nature of these data I have had no hesitation in subjecting the route from Kakondy to them; and the result has been that the hour’s march proves to be a trifle more than three English miles, which, for the commencement of the journey, is not extraordinary. ”

“ With these I loaded myself, and well satisfied with our prizes we returned to the camp. “No starve now, Massa Andrew!” said Timbo, as he gave an affectionate glance at the huge eggs. As we rode up David and the two boys saluted us with shouts of laughter, at the extraordinary appearance we cut with the ostrich feathers sticking above our shoulders. Donald, I found, claimed them as his own property, and I did not wish to dispute the point, though I should have liked to have presented one to Kate and Bella. I could only hope to capture another bird without assistance. ”

“ Timbo was recounting, with considerable animation, some of the adventures of his youth, when suddenly his narrative was interrupted by a loud trumpeting sound, and we saw Stanley wheel round and gallop towards us. At the same moment, a huge elephant, the largest monster I ever saw, with trunk projected, vast ears spread-out, and tail erect, burst from the thicket, and in hot haste pursued my cousin.
“Fly! fly!” shouted Stanley; “gallop off for your lives!” We required no second order to obey him. Stanley was looking round at the monster ”

“ I was sure from his determined look that he would be as good as his word, and that Natty would not be less courageous, though he made no remark. Stanley had given orders that not a shot was to be fired till he issued the word of command. We were standing in expectation of receiving it, when Timbo shouted out, “See! see! some horsemen come dis way!” We looked towards the west—the direction in which he pointed—where, under a cloud of dust, a herd of buffaloes were seen scampering across the plain, with several horsemen in close pursuit. ”

“ Directly breakfast was over we set out, greatly to Igubo’s satisfaction. He hurried along, leading us through elephant tracks, till we reached a path formed by the natives which led to the village. Igubo conducted us immediately to his house, round which a number of people were collected, and inside was a man with his face painted and his hair dressed out with strange ornaments, performing all sorts of antics.
“Dat de fetish man,” said Timbo. “He do no good. He t’ink he enchant de sick children. He one ’postor.” ”

“ Mr Donald Fraser proposed accompanying us; but when Stanley promised to try and induce some of the blacks to come south and trade with him, he abandoned his intentions, hoping to do a stroke of business in the meantime with any natives who might come to the camp. Timbo therefore took the third horse, and I mounted the one he would have ridden. They were all three fine strong animals, fleet and active; and we hoped on their backs to bid defiance to any human beings or wild beasts we might encounter. ”

“ The honest trader, however, had no cause to complain, for he was driving a brisk trade, not only with our friends from Kabomba, but with the people of a number of neighbouring villages. Some he visited in a light cart, which accompanied the waggons, and a considerable number came to us. We had not forgotten the elephant’s tusks, which Timbo had hid, and as soon as he believed his master was out of danger, he set off with one of the horses to bring them into camp. The elephant itself had long since disappeared, its skeleton alone whitened the prairie ”

“ Stanley sprang out, and called to Timbo to accompany him.
“We shall be able to judge whether we can safely pass through them,” he said. “I will be back quickly. Yes, we will take our rifles; we may find them necessary.”
He said this as Senhor Silva handed them out of the canoe. They were soon out of sight among the thick underwood which grew near the banks. It is very different, I should say, from the underwood in England; composed rather of huge leaves, reeds of enormous height, and other plants of the Tropics. ”

“ Stanley’s unerring rifle supplying us amply with game. We had a pleasant addition one day in a large bustard which he shot. Though very abundant, the bird is shy, so that a good sportsman alone can hope to kill it. It weighed about fifteen pounds. The flesh was very tender and palatable, and we agreed that it was the best flavoured of the game birds we had met with. After each day’s journey, Timbo generally went in search of small game or birds’ eggs, of which he brought us a plentiful supply; so that we lived in abundance. ”

“ We found that Timbo had not been idle, and had caught several fish, which were of good size, and pronounced wholesome. We found Igubo’s sons—the eldest of whom was called Mango and the other Paulo—creeping along the banks at a little distance down the river.
“They are after something,” observed Jack, “for they have been making a couple of harpoons; and they seem to know pretty well what they are about.”
Presently we saw a creature which at a distance looked like a young crocodile leap off the shore into the water. Mango’s harpoon was rapidly darted at it ”

“ Donald was an inferior hunter to Stanley, and had he been well, we should have met with more success. Timbo was riding near me, when I found him eagerly examining the sand on one side. Without saying a word he jumped from his horse, and began scraping away. Presently he produced a huge egg, then another, and another.
“Dere!” he exclaimed; “we no want food now. See, here are anoder dozen! Dey eggs of ostrich!”
I looked into the nest, and saw that the eggs were arranged with their ends uppermost, to occupy, I concluded, as small a space as possible. ”

“ The parting of men is seldom a maudlin affair. The king’s relations presented me bullocks, cows, goats, and sheep. His majesty sent me five slaves. Sulimani-Ali offered a splendid white charger. The king’s wife supplied me with an African quilt ingeniously woven of red and yellow threads unravelled from Manchester cottons; while Ahmah-de-Bellah, like a gentleman of taste, despatched for my consolation, the two prettiest handmaidens he could buy or steal in Timbo! ”

“ Chickango, however, assured us that the country to the south was more difficult to pass over than that we had traversed, and that without men to carry our provisions and goods we could not perform the journey. The matter was settled by our bearers refusing to proceed further. Senhor Silva asked Chickango whether he intended to return with his people or to remain with us. He hesitated; then he seized Senhor Silva’s hands, and gave rapid utterance to an harangue.
“He say we good people, he stop. He my broder now. Hurrah!” exclaimed Timbo. ”

“ Deveril, with eyes which puzzled Timber-Wolf, was staring at him curiously.
"Tell me, Bruce Standing," he demanded, "do you love her?"
"Love her?" cried Standing. "Rather I hate the ground she walks on! She is your kind, Baby Devil; not mine." And he laughed his scorn of her. But now there was no chiming of golden bells in that great volume of laughter but rather a sinister ring like the angry clash of iron. All the while Babe Deveril looked him straight in the eye ... and understood!
"For once you lie! You love her and what is more ... and worse!... she loves you! ”

“ Standing is dead it's up to you to keep on the move! As for me, I never met up with a sweeter travelling companion, nor yet with a nervier, nor yet, by God, with a lovelier! Say the word, Lynette Brooke, and we strike on together, over the ridge and deeper into the wilderness, headed for the land beyond Buck Valley, beyond Big Bear Creek. For the wild lands beyond the last holdings of the late Timber-Wolf, to be on the ground when Mexicali Joe leads Taggart and Gallup and Shipton to his gold! ”

“ Tim faintly remembered having overheard some swallows "discussing" together; Uncle Felix saw a robin perched against a sky of pearly grey at the end of an interminable corridor that stretched across whole centuries.... Then, close beside the three of them, a bumble-bee, a golden fly, and a company of summer gnats went by—booming, trumpeting, singing like a tiny carillon of bells respectively.
"Hark and listen," exclaimed the Tramp with triumph in his voice, and looking down at Tim particularly. "He's calling all the time. It's the little ordinary sounds that give the hints." ”

“ So climb a tree and wave your hand, The birds will see and understand, And ''may'' bring you assistance. Avoid the centre, If you enter, For once you're there You--disappear! Smothered by depth and distance!" Tim listened without a sign of interest. Every one has his peculiarity, he supposed, and, provided his companion did not dance as well as sing, it was all right. The noise was unnecessary, perhaps, still--the sound of a human voice was not without its charm. The house was a very long way off; the gardeners never came this way. A wood was a mysterious place! ”

“ The shoemaker abandoned his awl; the tailor his goose; the hatter his bowstring; and the forge of the blacksmith was cool from dawn till nightfall. Silent was the sonorous harmony of the big spinning wheel; silent the village song, and silent the fiddle of Master Timothy Canty, who passed his livelong time in playing tuneful measures, and catching bugs and butterflies. I must say something of Tim before I go on with my tale.
Master Timothy was first seen in the village, one foggy morning, after a drizzling, warm, showery night, when he was detected in a garret, at the extremity of the suburbs ”

“ Into the kitchen stumped the Pilot of Timber Town, weary from his work. Catching sight of Rachel, he paused half-way between the door and the table. “Well, well,” he said, “I beg pardon, I’m sure—bellowing like an old bull walrus at my dar’ter. But the gal knows her old Dad—don’t you, Rosebud? He don’t mean nothing at all.”
In a moment, Rose had the old man’s slippers in her hand, and the Pilot sat down and commenced to take off his boots and to put on the more comfortable footgear. ”

“ The children watched the bend of the road with interest. Anything that passed was of the greatest importance in the present want of amusement.
“It’s Thomas, with the oxen,” cried Eunice. “Let’s make him take us, too—oh, bother! these children.”
The heavy team lumbered in sight, drawn by big, black oxen. Old Thomas was plodding along by their side, occasionally cracking the long lash of his goad around their patient heads. Will and Archie stood in the cart. ”

“ So she stood here in the dim hallway, poised for instant flight if need be to her own door, a couple of yards farther on.
"Now," said Deveril impatiently, "what is it?"
Timber-Wolf's mood softened and the old bright laughter welled up in his dancing blue eyes.
"I pass it to you, Kid," he chuckled. "You've grown a man since last we met. We'll not forget, either one of us ... will we?... that night in my cabin?" ”

“ The merchant put his hand on a bell which stood upon his table.
“That would be of no use,” said Benjamin. “If you call fifty clerks and forcibly rob me of my correspondence, you gain nothing. [Pg 78] Listen! Every clerk in this building would turn against you the moment he knew your true character; and before morning, every man, woman and child in Timber Town would know. And where would you be then? In gaol. D’you hear?—in gaol. Take up your pen. An insignificant difference of a paltry hundred pounds will solve the difficulty and give you all the comfort of a quiet mind.” ”