But I knew already that Sally was winning. Gran'pa's bark was always
worse immediately before he--didn't bite. . . .
The following morning he said:
"You're right, George! You always are, confound you! We're wasting time
out here and the sooner we go home the better!"
Having unburdened himself thus, he went to the other extreme and
couldn't complete our preparations for the departure quickly enough.
Excited at the prospect of returning to their friends, and possibly
to fame, the rejuvenated also commenced hustling. But the unlucky
ones--artificially fed on potashes, and apparently incapable of
sustained effort--became vindictive and irritable. They accused us of
backsliding, breach of faith, and cowardice.
I don't know what rash promises Gran'pa had made during the last few
weeks, but I had the suspicion that he must have given the old people
some hope of rejuvenation in the near future.
On the morning of our departure he received three anonymous and
threatening letters, which made him more determined than ever!
"I will not be intimidated!" he stormed. "I'm going home, even if it's
my corpse that has to be taken on board. They'd merely be killing the
goose that lays the golden eggs. . . ."
". . . Or glands!" I observed.
"You have a dry wit, George!"
"Twelve months in this tropical heat would make anyone dry. It's worse
than being in America."
Sally looked perturbed.
"You don't think they're serious, Charles, do you?" she asked,
timorously.
"They haven't the guts!" he commented, vulgarly. "If they had, they'd
go gorilla-hunting themselves. I've offered to place the whole of
our machinery at their disposal. But no--they want waiting on hand
and foot, like babies. When I think of the money and time I've
wasted--Pah! . . ."
There and then he called a meeting in the gymnasium, swore at the whole
assembly, and ended by saying that they could either came back with us,
or stay and moulder where they were.
Demoralized and shaken by the storm of Gran'pa's passion, they
permitted themselves to be driven like sheep to the slaughter, and that
afternoon we set out for England once again.
Gran'pa refused to allow any of us to return to "The Pilgrim Father"
by 'plane. Full of feeble excuses about the lack of petrol, the
disadvantages of carrying unnecessary cargo, and the waste of time, he
told Oakley and Newland to fly their machines straight to Corisco, at
which spot we were touching on the way home. As if deeply resentful of
our presence, he went with them. So did Molly--to whom all things were
still possible. The remainder of us proceeded to the coast by train.
It was a tedious and abominable journey, and when we at last boarded
"The Pilgrim Father," I am certain that there was not a man who wasn't
thankful to shake the dust of Africa off his feet for ever.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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