an unenviable reputation as & a woman's shrieks. Quickly slaver, to-day his attitude to his mind flew back to familiar wards mankind is most benign, and similar happenings down Because of the immense poli- the Whitechapel Road, and tical inflaenoe that he wields, without bothering to knook he the British Authorities were rushed into the house, to find anxious at that time to keep the Liwale engaged in the very very much on the right side of ordinary Eastern practice of him, and he was treated with beating one of his wives. great respeot. He lived with very much to the dear old his several wives in a large gentleman's surprise and dishouse on the outskirts of the gust, he was promptly collared town. Included in a draft of by the soraff of the nook and soldiers recently sent out from frog-marched off to the Boma. home were a number of ex. It was far too late to wake the Metropolitan policemen: and A.P.M., 80 without ceremony one of these had been attached he was thrown into a nasty to the local A.P.M.'s staff for unolean cell and left to ponder military police duties. The over the strange ways of the story goes that one night this white man until daybreak. man was walking his beat What the A.P.M. said when he quite close to the Liwale's discovered the identity of his house, when suddenly he heard prisoner is unrecorded history.

.

XIV. THE RUFIJI REVISITED.

As soon as the now aero- gun was found later by our drome was ready the machines infantry. Our reconnaissances were wheeled up, and flying now became much longer, and commenced once more. The took us frequently as far north Kibata garrison was reinforeed as the Rufiji. The whole of a few days after Christmas, the country over which we and the Germans slowly re- had to fly was mountainous, tired towards the Rufiji, aban- and clad in impenetrable bush doning most of their artillery or forest. I usually flew with on the way. Clowe and I on the Old 'Un on these oseasions, one ooeasion had tho good for- and we had many thrilling tune to discover a number of experiences. Once when we Hans trying to rescue one of wore immediately over Utete, their big 4.1's which had one of the largest German slipped over the edge of the oamps on the river, an exhaust road into a swamp. We had valve snapped. The vibration only one bomb, bat Clowe was so terrifio that we predropped it with such good pared to land in an open space effect that the porters and quite near to the camp, but cattle harnessed to the gan my pilot had such an intense stampeded, and fled terror- abhorrence of Hon prisons (he stricken into the forest. This had had six months in Ger

YOL, COVII.--NO. MCCLI.

many before he escaped) that not 50 yards away, their tophe decided to push on and risk most branches high above our having to orash in the moun- heads, and there was no gap tains. As a matter of faot we between them through which got back quite safely, but the we might pass. It was too mechanios found two oylinders late to turn back, and my seized up when they came to heart oame into my mouth examine the engine.

as the machine suddenly shot In order that we might upwards in a mighty zoom, , extend the range of our reoon- leapt olean over a tall mango naissances farther west it was tree, the wheels actually clipdecided to make an aerodrome ping off several thin branches, at Tscheremo, & village nearly and dived again just on the 40 miles up the Matandu river. point of stalling. Luckily for us The Old 'Un and I went out the forest was not continuous ; by osr, seleoted a fairly good beyond the trees was an open site, and left Sergeant Smith glade through which we flew to preparo it. One morning a until the machine had gathered few days after, we packed our sufficient speed to climb slowly blankets into the machine and into the free air. A bouquet said farewell to the Flight for of mango leaves still olung a few days. We had no diffi- affectionately to the underculty in locating the new carriage, and we gasped with aerodrome, but on landing we relief as we realised what a found it very small, and the narrow squeak it had been. ground so soft and sandy We now turned north-west, that there seemed to be much taking a bee-line for Kitandi, doubt

whether the a large village lying to the machine would be able to get west of the Kibata Mountains off the ground in sufficient and cooupied by our own time to clear the tall trees troops. Half - way there we that fringed the open space. saw a magnificent bull sable However, the reconnaissance antelope standing in the forest. was important, and we decided the sight made us gnash our to risk it. That afternoon teeth with envy, for sable is we olimbed into our seats, one of the most greatly sought Sergeant Smith swung the after of the East African propeller, and a number of antelopes. It watched us with niggers held on to the planes a most bewildered air and did and tail until the engine was not attempt to move. Elerunning full out; then at phant traoks ran in all direo& signal they let go and tions, and it was quite easy to wo started to move slowly see what damage they do even - horribly slowly — forward. to the largest trees, many of Gradually, however, our speed which were torn down. inoreased, and at last the From Kitandi & narrow wheels left the ground, but track runs westwards towards not until we had practioally Mahenge (then the German reached the extremity of the Headquarters), and with diffi. aerodrome, The trees were oulty we followed this through

as

to

.

the almost impenetrable bush Huns were evidently retiring, for nearly 30 miles without and they had set fire to their seeing any sign of the enemy. vast stores of flour and rice Eventually we turned back in lest we should seize them. disgust; negative information The view over the river was frequently is more useful to very fine; swollen with recent the Staff than positive infor- rains, it looked quite different mation, but the collecting of it from the Rufiji I had seen last is a very uninteresting task November on my trip with for the observer. The Old Albu from Talo, The Old 'Un 'Un seemed very fed up, and had long sinoe decided not to I was not at all surprised to risk another landing at Tschesee him now turn the machine remo, and after I had oompleted in the direction of Utete on my notes we turned for Kilwa, the Rufiji river. We reached which .

reached without this in due course and found further adventure as dusk the whole oamp ablaze. The was falling.

we

XV. THE TOLL OF THE TROPICS.

The rains were now becom- One always felt very superior ing heavier and more frequent, to all people who had just and the toll in sioknes8 in- come out, although this man creased accordingly. Most of bad flown for a year on the as, too, were suffering from Western Front. I was there. prickly heat, a most diabolioal fore anxious that we should form of irritant rash that at- have & successful reconnaistacks one's back and the most sanoe. We had, inaccessible regions of one's After dodging the most ter. anatomy. There was no oure rifio thunderstorms for nearly for it, apparently, except a an hour, I spotted the enemy change of olimate, and the camp many miles west of only way to obtain temporary Tscheremo, of which the Staff relief was to lie in one's bed desired to have sketoh. while Maganga operated with The trench line was partiouTaloum powder. Before long larly clear, and I was the Old 'Un, Clowe, and my. prised to notice the askaris self were the only officers loft working away upon it quite in the Flight, and the Squad- unperturbed by our presence. ron could hold out no promise Unluckily (?) we had no bombs, of reinforcements, as oondi- or perbaps we might have tions were very much the same disturbed their tranquillity of in the other Flights.

mind somewhat. At the end One extra pilot, Botterel, of ten minutes I congratulated arrived eventually, and at the myself on having made a first opportanity I went out decent map, and feeling very with him in order to show satisfied I gave the signal to him round, as he had not pre- make for home. Five minutes viously flown in East Africa. later, when I examined my

come

official map with the usual retirement had merely meant liberal allowance for inacou- the shortening of their lines racies, it suddenly dawned on of communioation, with no me with a cold shudder that corresponding shortening of the camp I had reconnoitred our own front. It was now suocessfully wag one of our too late to organise a fresh own. I felt myself blushing offensive, and it was doubtful with shame, and the faot that if we could make good our it would have been impossible recent territorial gains, for in on account of the clouds to another fortnight the wbole have proceeded farther was of the unhealthy Rufiji valley no consolation at all.

would be flooded. For the next few days the One day Mossop arrived by rain put an effeotive stop to air from Tulo, a very creditall flying operations. The able piece of cross-country heat and the mosquitoes be- flying. He had

for oame worse and worse. There General Hoskins, who was now was not a man in the Flight to take over the command of who was not down with male the Expeditionary Force from aria for at least three days in General Smuts. They left the each week. Flight-Sergeant next morning, and we were Grant did the work of half very relieved to hear by wire

dozen men, and A. M. of their safe arrival a few Miles, in charge of photo- hours later. graphy, had to oarry out the General Hoskins from the duties of engineman, rigger, first had been very enthusiasgailmaker, and cook, in addi- tio about aeroplanes, and there tion to his own work. Ser- oan be no doubt that had he geant Smith W88 still in had his way we should have charge of the aerodrome at been able to oarry out oper&Tscheremo, and there he was tions on a far grander and likely to remain for some time, more successful soale. The as all road transport had task which lay before him now broken down. The difficulties was a hopeless one.

Without of carrying on the campaign big reinforcements to replace under such conditions may well the recent heavy casualties in be imagined. Newsfiltered the Rufiji valley, it was doubtthrough that the Germans had ful if we should be able to been driven from the Mgeta hold on to our gains. Men river down to the Rufiji, and were dying like flies from that our troops had sotually malaria and dysentery, transcrossed the latter. But it port had broken down, and soon beoame patent to us all the hospital accommodation that General Smuts's Great was far from being adequate. Push, from which we had all And this was only the beexpected so much, had failed. ginning of the heaviest and The German Army was still longest rainy season East intaot; oompared with Afrios had experienoed for gelves they were in a favour- over twenty years! able position. Their latest Owing to the intense heat

our

one

the aerodrome was about as Kissiwani. There was far as one could walk in other patient, Captain G moderate comfort, and even of the K.A.R., soffering from when clad in the flimsiest malaria and dysentery, and the

one always returned terrifio jolting of the car on wet through with perspiration. the bumpy road caused him Never by any chance was one's dreadful agonies. Poor chap, skin dry day or night, and the he died in the next oot to enervating effoot of these oon- my own the first night out ditions may be imagined. to se&.

Just before noon the At last the dreaded symp- ship’s engines were stopped, toms of malaria made their ap- and his emaciated

body, pearance. Without a moment's sewn in a sailor's hammook, notice, immediately after lunch was dropped into the olear one day I commenced to shiver. blue depths of the Indian A strong tot of whisky, a hot. Ooean. He had been fighting water bottle, and six blankets sinoe the beginning of the war made no difference at all, until in Flanders, as well as East late in the afternoon when the Africa, and it was hard to reaction set in, and then I think that he should die like seemed to melt. When my that. I heard the “Last temperature reached 105° I Post” sound on the dook above, thought that I'd better get and I thought of that terse dowo to hospital, and that's sad message already speeding where I woke up two days its way home to Englandlater. Malaria, at any rate,

“ Died-on aotive service !” helps one to forget one's other The engines started again, troubles.

and the work of the ship and At the end of the week I the medioal staff went on as was vastly surprised to see before. A nurse was smiling the Old 'Un himself stagger as she dressed an officer's into the ward, for he had wounds ; in the next ward & sworn & mighty oath that he gramophone commenced would never get fover, How. seleotion from the latest ever, he did not stay longer musioal comedy; through an than a couple of days, and he open port-hole I could see the W28 soon busy flying again. little blue waves dancing in

Personally I was feeling the sunshine, and never before very played out, and was not had I felt such a conscientious exceedingly grieved when I objeotion to war. was told that I should be

Two days later we arrived transferred to Daresalam. I at Daresalam, and I was carried shall never forget that journey immediately into the base in a Ford ambulanoe to Kilwa hospital.

(To be continued.)