"Bones": Being Further Adventures in Mr. Commissioner Sanders' CountryWallace, Edgar
History
"Bones": Being Further Adventures in Mr. Commissioner Sanders' Country
Wallace, Edgar
Africa -- History -- 1884-1918 -- Fiction; Great Britain -- Colonies -- Africa -- Administration -- Fiction; Short stories, English
Before any answer could come to his telegrams he had embarked, and it is
perhaps as well that he did not wait, since none of the replies were
particularly satisfactory. Bosambo was evidently un-get-at-able, and the
most alarming rumour of all was that which came from Sierra Leone and
was to the effect that Bosambo had embarked for England with the
expressed intention of seeking an interview with a very high personage
indeed.
Now it is the fact that had Sanders died in the execution of his duty,
died either from fever or as the result of scientific torturing at the
hands of Akasava braves, less than a couple of lines in the London Press
would have paid tribute to the work he had done or the terrible manner
of his passing.
But a Cabinet Minister, captured by a cannibal tribe, offers in addition
to alliterative possibilities in the headline department, a certain
novelty particularly appealing to the English reader who loves above all
things to have a shock or two with his breakfast bacon. England was
shocked to its depths by the unusual accident which had occurred to the
Right Honourable gentleman, partly because it is unusual for Cabinet
Ministers to find themselves in a cannibal's hands, and partly because
Mr. Blowter himself occupied a very large place in the eye of the public
at home. For the first time in its history the eyes of the world were
concentrated on Sanders' territory, and the Press of the world devoted
important columns to dealing not only with the personality of the man
who had been stolen, because they knew him well, but more or less
inaccurately with the man who was charged with his recovery.
They also spoke of Bosambo "now on his way to England," and it is a fact
that a small fleet of motor-boats containing pressmen awaited the
incoming coast mail at Plymouth only to discover that their man was not
on board.
Happily, Sanders was in total ignorance of the stir which the
disappearance created. He knew, of course, that there would be talk
about it, and had gloomy visions of long reports to be written. He would
have felt happier in his mind if he could have identified Mimbimi with
any of the wandering chiefs he had met or had known from time to time.
Mimbimi was literally a devil he did not know.
Nor could any of the cities or villages which had received a visitation
give the Commissioner more definite data than he possessed. Some there
were who said that Mimbimi was a tall man, very thin, knobbly at the
knees, and was wounded in the foot, so that he limped. Others that he
was short and very ugly, with a large head and small eyes, and that when
he spoke it was in a voice of thunder.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account