The Case of the Silver Republicans by John C. Horst

Author:John C. Horst
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gale, Cengage Learning
Published: 2016-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

“How do you like Arizona, laird?”

“It is beautiful country, Mr. Walsh.”

Arvel pointed southeast as they rode, along with Dan George, bringing up the rear of the company. “Before you leave, you’ve got to venture that way, to the Painted Desert. There are fossilized trees around there. Amazing things to see. Huge and they look just like trees, though made of stone. Incredible.”

“I have heard of this petrified forest.”

The laird took a long drink from his canteen. “This place feels very familiar. It brings me in mind of the Kalahari.”

“I’ve always wanted to visit Africa. What did you do there?”

“Just adventuring. Did some hunting, angling. It is, like Arizona, a beautiful though unforgiving land.”

“Did you ever kill an elephant?”

“I did not. I did not have a rifle powerful enough. Mostly focused on the smaller hooved creatures, though I did shoot a rhino and one Cape buffalo and several kudu. Amazing creatures, kudu, and excellent to eat.”

Dan spoke up. “I’d guess a rhino would be about as difficult to take as an elephant.”

“You are correct, Mr. George. And I would never have attempted it, had the monster not been provoked enough to charge us.”

Arvel smiled. “Can’t imagine beasts like that. Only thing we’ve got in this country are big bears, though the last grizzly I heard of was, my goodness, some ten years ago. Think they’ve all been killed off in this locale. You heard of any, Dan?”

“No, Arvel. Have never heard of one since I’ve lived here and certainly don’t mind a bit if I never see one. From the stories I’ve been told, it is not a creature you want wandering into your camp in the wee hours.”

“Elephants always fascinated me. I had an old friend.” He turned and gave Dan a smile.

The Indian rolled his eyes. “Oh, Jesus, not another story.”

Arvel held up his hand. “All true, all true.” He turned in his saddle to the laird. “I had a friend from my school days, laird. Became a scientist and wanted to study the wild beasts of Africa, you know, with the whole Darwin thing. He was convinced he’d find something, the missing link, the cradle of civilization . . .”

“I thought that was in Mesopotamia.”

“Yes, well, Dan, I didn’t say he was necessarily a smart scientist.” Arvel handed out cigarettes. “Anyway, my friend became interested in elephants. Particularly in a phenomenon that was recurring in a certain part of central Africa at the time of his travels.”

“Oh?” The laird lit his cigarette and looked genuinely interested.

“Yes, well, these particular elephants, they kept coming up with this strange affliction. A tarry substance had started forming between their toes. It stunk to high heavens and everyone, especially the white hunters of your land, laird, were particularly concerned, you know with ivory fetching such high prices. They were worried that the elephant population was in jeopardy of extinction or at least decline enough to render the enterprise no longer viable.”

“What did your friend discover, Arvel?” Dan asked, forever the devoted straight man.

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