248 JOURNEY WITHOUT MAPS

the American army and his career, if frankly written,
would prove one of the most entertaining adventure
stories in the world. As a private or a medical orderly
in a black regiment—I forget which—he had served
in Pershing's disastrous Mexican expedition when
hundreds of men died in the desert for lack of water;
later he had seen service in the Philippines; and
finally, for what reason I do not know, he had left
America and come to Monrovia. He was very soon
appointed medical officer of health, though I do not
think he had any kind of medical degree, and from
this vantage point he had worked his way into
politics. Under Mr. King's presidency he had been
appointed Colonel Commandant of the Frontier
Force and had managed to shift his allegiance to Mr,
Barclay when Mr. King was forced to resign after the
League of Nations inquiry. No story was undramatic
to Colonel Davis, and the whole shabby tale of Mr.
Bang's participation in the shipping of forced labour
to Fernando Po and his rather cowardly acceptance
of the League's condemnation, which threatened
Liberian sovereignty, followed by his resignation
when the Legislature proposed to impeach him,
became an exciting melodrama in which Colonel
Davis had played an heroic part.

"They were thirsting for his blood," Colonel Davis
said dramatically, but nothing which I saw later of
the coastal Liberians lessened my doubt whether they
had the vitality to assault anyone; with cane juice
they would work themselves up to a height of oratory,
but as for murder ... He lowered his voice. "Foi
twenty-four hours/' he said, "I never left Mr. Kisg'ji,
s*de. The mobs were going about the streets, thirsting