THE END OF THE TRAIL 293 



Saint Pierre, a new fifteen thousand ton steamer of 

 the Messageri Maritime Line. She took sixteen 

 days en route to Marseilles, proving one of the most 

 comfortable and luxurious vessels on which I have 

 ever travelled. 



Thence our trail led to Paris where Osa spent the 

 few remaining dollars in our bank account on Paris 

 gowns. As she had not had anything pretty for 

 many a moon she naturally revelled in the fineries of 

 that wonderful city. She even persuaded me to join 

 her on some of her shopping tours. 



After Osa's dressmakers and milliners had been 

 settled I just barely had enough cash left to buy two 

 tickets on the Leviathan bound home. We reached 

 New York on May 16, 1927. For six months we 

 have endured the horrors of traffic, telephones, 

 telegraphs, carbon dioxide, banquets, week-end 

 parties, boiled shirts, poisonous cocktails, suburban 

 trains and a thousand other tormenting details of 

 civilization. 



We have siurvived, thanks I think, to the health 

 and strength we had gained during our long sojoiun 

 in Africa. But when December approached we 

 secretly decided to give each other what seemed at the 

 time the nicest Christmas presents in the world. 

 These presents didn't take up much room; in fact 

 the two of them were small enough to slip into my 

 waistcoat pocket. When Osa saw them she threw 



