African Camp Fires by Stewart Edward White
page 41 of 268 (15%)
page 41 of 268 (15%)
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"What are they going to do with them?" murmured one of the Englishmen,
at a loss. "I reckon," said the cowboy, "that they look on this as the easiest way to drown them all to onct." Then from behind one of the other boats suddenly appeared a huge German sailor with a hose. The devoted imbeciles in the shore boat were drenched as by a cloud-burst. Back and forth and up and down the heavy stream played, while every other human being about the ship shrieked with joy. Did the victims rise up in a body and capture that hose nozzle and turn the stream to sweep the decks? Did they duck for shelter? Did they at least know enough to scatter and run? They did none of these things; but sat there in meek little rows like mannikins until the boat was half full of water and everything awash. Then, when the sailor shut off the stream, they continued to sit there until the mate came to order them out. Why? I cannot tell you. Perhaps that is the German idea of how to take a joke. Perhaps they were afraid worse things might be consequent on resistance. Perhaps they still hoped to go ashore. One of the Englishmen asked just that question. "What," he demanded disgustedly, "what is the matter with the beggars?" Our cowboy may have had the correct solution. He stretched his long legs and jumped down from the rail. "Nothing stirring above the ears," said he. It is customary in books of travel to describe this part of the journey somewhat as follows: "Skirting the low and uninteresting shores of |
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