MEN OF THE TREES 



certain that he would live another day and as a last 

 hope he had decided to operate on the patient that night. 

 When I entered the hospital ward and went to Igabon's 

 bed, he at once brightened up. I said, "Tell me, where 

 does it hurt most?" and when he indicated the place, I 

 took off my ring mounted with a stone which had been 

 owned at one time by Abdul Baha, the Persian philoso- 

 pher, and had been given to me by a mutual friend. I 

 now made the Sign of the Cross with this stone on the 

 affected part, and in a few minutes relief came. I left 

 Igabon clasping my ring and that night when the doctor 

 returned he decided not to operate, for he recognized 

 such great improvement in his patient. But the time was 

 drawing near for me to return on leave, and three weeks 

 later, as my homebound ship left the Quay, at that very 

 moment my faithful old interpreter passed on his way 

 to his last rest. 



Another faithful African friend was Belo. To give 

 him his full title, Sergeant-Major Belo Akure was one 

 of the finest orderlies that any Forest Officer could wish 

 to have. He was always cheerful, and however early it 

 was in the morning, he was always ready for the trail. 

 *'Good morning, Sar," was his invariable greeting. Fie 

 always put the emphasis on the word "Good." You 

 simply had to be cheerful, however threatening the day 

 politically or atmospherically. I always liked to take 

 him with me when I had any particularly difficult task 

 on hand. He was a tower of strength and his good humor, 

 combined with a strong sense of discipline, made him in- 



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