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Show VER since a certain in- HHHBttff cident in which three 'I r H decorated Top Hats 9 WTTtrm Played a prominent WM 1J jjifl part, the friendship K UK between Bellingham H I"",.. H and the dusky mon- i P b-:B5 nrch h;,d in- l sM creased Having late-, late-, -. ''VW 1 received an lnti-isasssa lnti-isasssa mation that his promotion pro-motion was a matter considerable speculation, Bellingham seized the opportunity presented by his arrival off the capital of Osolumpe of consulting with his royal acquaintance acquaint-ance on the matter. "I lib for expedition palaver," he began, as he sat down In the madeira chair which was kept for his especial benefit. jWo sabbey?" said Lokomoko. "I lib for bush-fight palaver," the visitor went on, and proceeded to detail de-tail the plans which had alreadv formulated themselves in his active brain. "Whisky palaver no can lib, bush-fight bush-fight palaver no can lib!" he announced an-nounced at last Bellingham whistled, and John Sardinetln, the Alligator's head-kroo-man, appeared with a case of wsieky. Tho king's eyes glistened, for his friend's offerings had previously been limited to single bottles. "O Bellingham," he murmured fervently, fer-vently, "nif dash you one plenty fine bush-fight!" Up the Bumpupo river was a factory fact-ory called Nunki, between the owners of which and Lokomoko no love wa6 lost because they did not contribute toward his revenue. The preliminaries were quickly arranged, the captain of the Alligator returned to his ship and issued certain orders. At daylight next morning the gunboat hove up her r anchor All day long the tiny man-of-war plugged against the oily, evil-smelling current; all day long her captain conned con-ned her from the sweltering bridge above the little deckhouse on the poop. It was nearly sunset when the lazy crocodiles were frightened out of their wits by the splash of the Alligator's Al-ligator's anchor and the rattle of her chain as she brought to opposite Messrs Milligan & Eraser's factor at Nunki. The arrival of the gunboat was observed ob-served with much surprise, but with little pleasure. Messrs Milligan & Fraser were mysterious people, and their business was more mysterious than themselves, for they never sent home any cargo. Nunki really stood outside the boundaries of Osolumpe; in fact, it was on German territory, and not within the sphere of British influence at all. But to oblige his friend Bellingham, Bell-ingham, Lokomoko had temporarily I altered his frontiers. The traders did not extend a very hearty welcome to their visitor when he landed, but this Bellingham ignored. ig-nored. "Hullo!" he cried, as he glanced round. "This doeB not look as if you were besieged by tho Ju Ju men." "What the deuce are you talking about, and what the deuce are vou doing do-ing here, anyway?" growled Milligan surlily. "I have come to give you the protection protec-tion of the British flag, and by the holy poker you are going to have it!" Bellingham replied gaily. He had already sized up the men with whom he had to deal, and quickly recognized that, for reasons of their own, they preferred his room to his company. "We have got no use fr your blank-ety blank-ety protection up here," broke in Fraser "Come, have a cocktail, and then paddle your old bugtrap down river again." "You have not been attached, then?" queried Bellingham, after a pause which was occupied by the concocting and swallowing of the potent mixture known as "cocktail." "Attacked? Who on earth would attack at-tack us?" gasped Fraser, in genuine ' astonishment "White man plenty fine chop' Sab-bey?" Sab-bey?" said Bellingham, accompanying the remark with cannibal operations j in pantomime "Rot! ' snapped Milligan ' "Well, if you have not been, you arc going to be," insisted the visitor; adding significantly, "And I am going to see it through." "It is not any business of yours, any way," said Milligan, roughly. "Pardon me, but it is very much my business," laughed our hero. "I should advise you to keep off the Krass, my boy This is German territory," terri-tory," continued the other. "Don't you make any error!" responded re-sponded Bellingham, as he truned away towards his boat. Nothing happened during the night, but the silence of dawn was broken by the rattle of desultory firing in the bush at the back of Nunki. ThiB. however did not seem to surprise the captain of the Alligator. He was fully ful-ly dressed and had been walking the poop for some time previously. Funnily enough, the bugler was also waiting In tho gangway. Two I minutes after tho first shot was heard I the bugler sounded off "General quarters." and within 10 minutes the three four-inch guns of the gunboat's broadside were blazing away into the brush. The engagement did not last long,, but quite long enough to bring Messrs Mes-srs Milligan and Fraser scurrying off In a dugout, clothed only in pyjamas and funk "By gum, you were right, after all, j captain!" murmured Milligan awk-, awk-, wardly. "Apologise for last night' Thought you were pulling our legs." "All right," answered Bellingham, with a cheery nod "I am busy just at present. Go down to my cabin and order what you like. You'll find my steward somewhere." After half an hour's bombardment I the captain of the Alligator ordered the "cease fire." Instead of the shrieking of shell, the shrieking of human being rent the air. This wa6 something quite outsldo Belllngham's calculations His plans had been laid with the greatest care, he had taken every recaution to avoid accidents. An acute observer would have noticed that, although the rifle shots came from the left of the factory, all the Allgator's shells fell well to the right Bennlngham, never at a loss, immediately im-mediately ordered the bugler to sound the -'Landing Party" call. In a few minutes the boats were lowered, the men tumbled in, and tho little army went ashore Advancing in skirmishing skirmish-ing order. Bellingham found little difficulty dif-ficulty in locating his objective, for the air was still alive with the cries of suffering humanity Forcing their way through a couple of hundred yards of brush, the army came to a clearing whereon was erected erect-ed a circular stockade. "Slave-traders, by Jove!" muttered Bellingham under his breath; "no wonder the blackguards were so anxious to get rid of me!" The guards, deeming discretion the better part of valor, had vanished. The sailors rushed forward, and the gates of the stockade were thrown open. Then Bellingham returned to his ship very well satisfied with the morning's morn-ing's work, for he knew that he held Messrs Milligan and Fraser In the hollow of his hand. 'Well, my friends, what do you think of matters now!" he exclaimed as he entered his cabin Fortified by his whisky, the two worthies had recovered rome of their equanimity. "I suppose it Is all ever?" queried Milligan. "The first act, yes!" answered Bellingham Bell-ingham enigmatically. Fraser flattered himself that he grasp?! the naval officer's meaning "Wo will dash you something hand- j some for this," he murmured. "You can bet your bottom dollar J that you will do what I want," remarked re-marked Bellingham. "Now, away ashore with you and make yourselves into decent white men if you can. I will have a yarn with you when I have written my dispatch." Then he bundled them out of his ! j cabin and into the boat which was I waiting at the gangway "By the way," he added as an afterthought, after-thought, "I am afraid your catti have stampeded ! " Jack Bellingham bathed and breakfasted break-fasted leisurely and then sat down to compose his dispatch. No doubt this document still reposes among tho archives of the foreign office and th i admiralty, but it has never been desecrated dese-crated by the public eye. Of course it was fiction, but at the same time It was fiction which had a solid foundation of fact. When finished the manuscript was a piece of artistic j literature which would have gladdened the heart of any magazine editor. As Bellingham laid down his pen. I the 6lgnal man entered and reported j a war canoe coming up the river. I Gathering up his manuscript, the cap-j cap-j tain went on deck, sent for the writer and ordered him to copy the dispatch in duplicate as quickly as possible. When the war canoe shot up I alongside Bellingham sa'v that it contained con-tained no less a personage than the prime minister of Osolumpe. "Bellingham, 0 Bellingham, plenty plen-ty big ship lib for Bumpupo!" gasped the porth old gentleman, nearly 6prawllng on deck in his hurry to communicate the intelligence "Flagship?" queried Bellingham anxiously "No sabbey?" raumured the other. "Plenty big ship lib for admiral palaver?" pa-laver?" "Yes, admiral lib for Bumpupo." "Here's a go!" commented Belling-. Belling-. ham, his brow puckering in thought In his heart he blessed Lokomoko for I his thoughtfulness In sending the I news. "O Bellingham, I lib for whisky palaver'" pa-laver'" suddenly announced the prime minister. Aa usual, Bellingham did not need to think twice as to his course of action. "You dash me one runner, me dash you plenty whisky," he said. In a moment the exchange was ef-I ef-I fected and the prime minister went on his way down river, hugging a case of whisky. The arrival of the flagship at Bumpupo Bum-pupo was unexpected, and, to say the least of It, inconvenient If Bellingham Belling-ham could not explain his actions to the satisfaction of the admiral, he would, without doubt, be court-martialed, for he knew that he was unpopular un-popular in tho flagship, and he was al6o perfectly aware of tho position he accupied in the esteem of the lords commissioners of the admiralty. Consequently Con-sequently he determined to take no risks. One copy of his dispatch was sealed up, addressed to the foreign office, j and sent off by the runner to the nrarest port up the coast at which the I homeward bound mail boat called. He then sent a polite note ashore, asking Messrs Milligan and Fraser to lunch, j and ordered the engineer to raise j steam for full speed as soon as pos- Bible Finally, he repaired to the' wardroom and read Mr literary effort over to hla officers, In order that its most salient points might be Impressed Im-pressed upon their memories. In duo time the two traders came off In the whaler They completely failed to notice that she was Immediately Immedi-ately hoisted to her davlta. because Bellingham hustled them into his cabin Having assiduously piled them with gin-and-bltters, they sat down to lunch. I "Look here, you fellows," began the Alligator's captain, as, acting the genial host, he ordered his steward I to fill up their glasses with cham- I pagne, "I want you to do something I for me," i "We've promised to dash you something," some-thing," murmured Fraser. Bellingham spoke with unnecessary loundnes8. and began to make a most unpleasant noise with the cutlery, j consequently his guests did not hear the capstan working. "I don't want you to dash me anything." any-thing." he said "I only want you to back me up over this .lttle show, I hope to get my promotion out of it" Bellingham proceeded to explain at some length, while his steward filled their glasses. The precious pair were nothing loth to make, the most of their host's hospitality. By tho time they had each swallowed a couple of glasses of port and two or three liqueurs, both of them felt at peace with the world in general, and with Jack Bellingham in particular. "I say, Cappy," exclaimed Fraser suddenly, "what Is that funny churning churn-ing noise under the floor''" Milligan sprang up with an oath and went to one of the scuttles, closely close-ly followed by his partner. What they saw did not please them, for It was the banks of the river flying past as the Alligator sped full steam d.own river, with tho current helping her along, and their factory at Nunki disappearing dis-appearing round the bend Both traders swung round. They were about to spring, but thought better bet-ter of it, for Bellingham was standing up with a revolver In each hand. "Kidnapped, by gum!" cried Fraser. "You'll pay for this!" snarled Milligan. Mil-ligan. "Now, my friends, sit down and calm yourselves," said Bellingham j cooly. "You have got to come with I me to Bumpupo, so you will make the ; best of the situation, if vou're not ' fools! " uiTS8 tradre loked at one another. Milligan shrugged his shoulders But why the deuce do you want to .?,rUf, t0 BuuPupo''' queried Fraser. Jell, you see, the flagship is there with my commander-in-chief " Bellingham Bell-ingham responded. "You have got to Play the part of distressed British subjects sub-jects whom the opportune arrival of H. M S. Alligator ?.nd Lieut. Commander Com-mander John Bellinghan. R. N res- cued from the cooking nots of bloodthirsty blood-thirsty cannibals. Sabbey?" "But we do not pose as British subjects, sub-jects, broke in Milligan, with a laugh "Nunki is on German territory, terri-tory, me lad! " "Don't you make anv error!" ejaculated ejacu-lated Bellingham. 'Trom what you have seen of roe. do you think that I am an absolute idiot?" "Look here, captain, suppose wo refuse re-fuse to act the part of distressed British Brit-ish subjects? Suppose we refuse to hail you as our savior? What then?" Bellingham looked at him. and there was sardonic pity in his glance. "Mr. Fraser," he said, "while you were on board this morning, drowning your funk In my whisky, I went ashorp. and made an interesting discovery dis-covery in a certain clearing behind your factory." "The deuce you did!" muttered Fraser, glancing at his partner. I "Sabboy?" Bellingham snapped. Plainly they did sabbey. "So you see." he went on, "It is I either distressed British subjects or I slave-traders. Personally, I don't care which role you choose. I shall get my promotion out of it either way." The traders did not speak, but Bellingham Bell-ingham knew that he would have no more trouble with them. "Now that is settled, I hope you will make yourselves at home," he said genially. "There is the whisky, HH cigars and cigarettes in tho box. If fflEHH you want anything, ring for my HamS steward." H9 The "last post" was just sounding (BBS on the flagship as the Alligator HR3 bumped across Bumpopo bar. Long 'ra&SI before she came to an anchor the big IHui ship signalled querulously. "Captain jBuKK repair on board." As soon ae ths KeRB cable was secured the captain did re- iraHl pair on board, highly elated It was 10 o'clock before he returned, fjBlBi to find his officers and his guests as- 43H sembled in the gangwav. anxiously fjjpfiffi awaiting his news. Bellingham said $&0!l nothing, but went straight into ,the fK&l wardroom and ordered a bottle of rtH campagne. KjmEc "It's all right, then, sir?" ventured OB the first lieutenant. firStM "You go over and ask the C-in-C." fli replied Bellingham. with a wink. "Old itftn Baldey is riled enough to hit anything Pslj that comes within striking distance." 'Hl "Did he read the dispatch, air?" Kfir? asked his subordinate. f?Tsw "He did," answered Bellingham; Jm "and then tore it up and flung it on f$&j the deck. He swore he would relieve iT&la me on the spot! He swore he would v Was put me under arrest! He swore he IrM would court-martial roe! I don t E;- '5 know what he did not swear' t'&MI "Then I ventured to interpose a I'v? hope that he would recommend roe f for promotion. That finished him! He would have chased -me out of his cabin if I had not mentioned the fact fiwi that, being unaware of his presence at ft Bumpopo, I had sent a duplicate dia- f i? patch to the foreign office ra& "He cooled down a bit then, but even tf I that did not make him civil. How- ftib't ever, he is scared of the people at home, so my promotion Is as good as an accomplished fact" fti' "Here's luck, air!" cried his of- fleers in unison. X I "And I should not be a bit surprised I if I got the D. S. 0., for I laid it on - pretty thick." he added, and then Pi&v turned to his guests. I "I am sorry, gentlemen, I nearly i" H forgot all about you. The admiral f says he does not want to see any more H I of adjective me or my adjective dls- I I tressed British 6ubjects. We will give I I you a shake-down for the night and I rVt will send you home In our steam cut- I ter tomorrow morning " I "- ' Thus closed the incident of the 'I-i' Nunki expedition. No international ;V complicaions followed. Bellingham &vys actually was promoted and awarded I I the D S. 0. His ship's company re- 1' ceived the West African medal with !L. one bar bearing the legend, "Nunki " |