Page:Harris Dickson--Old Reliable in Africa.djvu/81

 "Leave Cunnel? dat I won't. Who else he got to take keer o' him?"

"Very good—now in case anybody tries to get that capsule away from you"—Zack began to show the whites of his eyes—"or if any accident happens, you must swallow it."

Zack gasped, "Mister, dis here stuff ain't pizen?"

"It will not hurt you. I hid it in that capsule so I could swallow it myself if necessary. Or you can throw it into the sea; it will sink."

"Well, Mister, ef it's jes de same wid you, I'll chunk it in de water."

"Very good—but only in extremity. One more thing, you must not look at me, must not speak to me. You have never seen me before. Remember that." This tickled Old Reliable into a wink and a grin. He loved mystery; he gloried in lodge work; he loved the secret grips and signs and pass-words which ignorant niggers didn't know.

"Now tell me exactly what you are to do." Lykoff put him through his catechism. Old Reliable reeled it off like a parrot, "Give dis here pill to de man what calls me 'Zack.' An' I gits ten mo' o' dese. Ef anybody ack like he aims to take it away from me, jes drap it in de water. An' I ain't got to let on like I knows you."

"Very good." As Lykoff came, so Lykoff