e proceedings now with a jubilant mind.
As a political division, the much-talked-of New Republic might be said
to lack cohesion, but as a conquered tract of country it was very
pleasantly in awe of Captain Kettle. A very comfortable store of ivory
was stored in the principal hut of each village they came to, which
Clay, who commanded the rear guard, always took care to "put _ju-ju_ on"
after his senior officer at the head of the force had marched out of the
village _en route_ for the next, that being the most satisfactory
fashion of warding off pilferers. And last but not least, they had
agreed upon their route of exit to a sea-coast, and (in theory at any
rate) considered it eminently practicable.

The Congo, of course, _via_ Leopoldville, Matadi, and Banana was barred
to them, on account of their trouble with the Free State authorities.
Their original idea had been to cross the great continent eastward by
way of the Great Lakes, and take shipping somewhere by Mozambique or
Zanzibar. But the barbarous difficulties of that route daunted even
Kettle, when they began to consider it in detail, and the advantages of
the French Congo territory showed up brightly in comparison.

They still had the little stern-wheel steamer that was filched--I beg
their pardon, captured from the Free State, and in her, with the loot on
board, they must creep down the Congo again, almost to Stanley Pool,
steaming by night only, hiding at the back of islands during the days,
always avoiding observation. And then they must strike across country
due west, till they made the head-waters of the Ogowe, and so down to
the sea, fighting a way through whatever tribes tried to impede them.
The French Customs would take their toll of the ivory, of course, but
that could not be helped; but after that, a decent steamer again, and
the sea, and home. It was an appetizing prospect.

But castles in the clouds have been built before, and often it is the
unexpected that sets them trundling; and in this case such an ordinary
occurrence as a tornado stepped into the reckoning and split this
sighed-for edifice of success and prosperity with all completeness.

There had been no tornado to clear the atmosphere for nine whole days,
and the country was unendurable accordingly. The air was stagnant with
heat, and reeked with the lees of stale vegetation. The sky overhead was
full of lurid haze, which darkened the afternoon almost to a twilight,
and in the texture of