her coarse but sleeked black hair, her throat and her breasts. The perfume's exotic fragrance caused her face to light up in inaudible pleasure.

"Mona," I said, "Mr. Bradford will not be home tonight-not until sometime tomorrow will he be back. I will feel safer if you will sleep with me in my bed tonight-please!"

Momentarily I thought my request would cause the pleasure of the perfume to ebb from her. Instead the prospect of my wish heightened it, for she smiled even more and nodded her head in gracious acquiescence.

Once we were in bed, with the night's darkness eased only by the moonlight that shafted in through the room's one window, it surprised me some how quickly Mona's primordial passion awakened to my overtures . . .

Next morning Mona made the bed, changing the sheets; those she took off she laundered.

Only a few days remained of our hunting jaunt, when we would have to start for home so Sam could be back at his job. A long airmailed letter arrived from Celia, telling me how she missed me and how she was looking forward to the day when we'd arrive home. I read it hurridly, even skipping parts of it, and felt glad when I came to the end of it. I had started wondering how our friendship would be after this, when I got home.

On the last day, after we had paid Mona her wages, Sam wanted to drive her back to her village in the jeep. The distance was only about four miles. So I didn't want to hear about it. I said that I could walk with her, and I'd have plenty of time to walk back by myself before the tropical night fell blanket-like and maybe bring out dangerous jungle prowlers. Sam gave in.

Mona and I set forth. A half mile from her village we came to a leafy thicket, in the midst of which several high trees grew. We heard voices from the village but the heavy foliage hid it from our sight. As if we were of one mind we waded into the thicket. The next minute we had our arms about each other and were pressing hard against each other. On the tree branches high above us Rhesus monkeys climbed down to take a closer look at us and to start up a mild chattering. I was glad these just a bit human-faced creatures weren't any more intelligent than they were. At the same time I wondered what they were thinking in their simian minds, seeing us in a lover's embrace.

After a lengthy while we drew apart. Mona wished me a safe trip back. I told her I'd get home safely.

With Mona out of my sight behind the dense foliage, I started walking homeward. I had gone about a mile when a red dust cloud rose up a mile distant, and in a brief while Sam came bumping toward me in the jeep.

"I was afraid you might get darned tired before you got back," Sam told me in a kind tone as I climbed in beside him. His words eased my beginning loneliness. "Is she home already?" he asked when he had swung around.

"Yes. Why?" My curiosity prompted me to ask.

"I would have liked to say a last good-bye to her."

"We can turn around and drive to her village," I said. But he kept on driving.

"You know, Louise, if a beauty contest could be put on for Kaffir females, Mona would win first without the judges having to bicker about it.

"I suppose we can come back here next year," I told Sam.

"Oh, sure. But why plan anything on Mona? Next year by this time she'll be the property of that-what is he the oldest son of that chief up the river?"

one

14