ery year at regular seasons floods the valley like an ocean and
leaves it rich, pregnant, as it were, with amazing vegetation. Even
like the Nile, he has vanquished the sands; he is the father of untold
generations, the creative deity of a world as yet unknown, which in
later times will enrich old Europe.... And the valley of the Niger, the
good giant's colossal daughter. Ah! what pure immensity is hers; what
a flight, so to say, into the infinite! The plain opens and expands,
unbroken and limitless. Ever and ever comes the plain, fields are
succeeded by other fields stretching out of sight, whose end a plough
would only reach in months and months. All the food needed for a great
nation will be reaped there when cultivation is practised with a little
courage and a little science, for it is still a virgin kingdom such
as the good river created it, thousands of years ago. To-morrow this
kingdom will belong to the workers who are bold enough to take it, each
carving for himself a domain as large as his strength of toil can dream
of; not an estate of acres, but leagues and leagues of ploughland wavy
with eternal crops.... And what breadth of atmosphere there is in that
immensity! What delight it is to inhale all the air of that space at one
breath, and how healthy and strong the life, for one is no longer piled
one upon the other, but one feels free and powerful, master of that part
of the earth which one has desired under the sun which shines for all."

Benjamin listened and questioned, never satisfied. "How are you
installed there?" he asked. "How do you live? What are your habits? What
is your work?"

Dominique began to laugh again, conscious as he was that he was
astonishing, upsetting all these unknown relatives who pressed so close
to him, aglow with increasing curiosity. Women and old men had in
turn left their places to draw near to him; even children had gathered
around, as if to listen to a fine story.

"Oh! we live in republican fashion," said he; "every member of our
community has to help in the common fraternal task. The family counts
more or less expert artisans of all kinds for the rough work. My father
in particular has revealed himself to be a very skilful mason, for
he had to build a place for us when we arrived. He even made his own
bricks, thanks to some deposits of clayey soil which exist near Djenny.
So our farm is now a little village: each married couple will have its
own house. Then, too, we are n