was secretly much astonished to find it the same color as before.

"I wish mine would turn white or potato color or something," said
Lathrop, to whom Harry confided his expectation, "this red thatch of
mine is a nuisance. At school I was always Brick-top or Red-Head
and out here the natives all look at my carrot-colored top-knot as
if they'd like to scalp me and keep it for a fetish."

Both boys laughed heartily over Lathrop's half-assumed vexation. As
a matter of fact he had been the butt of many jokes in school on
account of his blazing red hair and in Africa the natives with their
love for any gaudy color had already christened him Rwome Mogo or
Red-Top. Of this, however, he was fortunately ignorant, as he might
have been tempted to go out and dispatch half a dozen of them if he
knew of their term for him.

Down at the river bank, cross the evil-smelling lagoon at the back
of the town, Frank and Harry had their hands full directing
shouting, laughing Kroomen how to load up the canoes. From the
canopied steam launch that lay alongside the rickety wharf the black
engineer--an American Negro--watched with great contempt their
labors, which they enlivened with songs from time to time.

"Them's de mos' good fur nuffingest niggahs I ever did see,"
remarked Mr. Rastus Johnson--that was his name--with undisguised
contempt.

Nevertheless by noon the canoes had all been leaded and the
farewells to the kind M. Desplaines and his family said. After a
swift final inspection Frank pronounced everything ship-shape and