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of blood; the door was shut against our world, and the Abyssinians returned to fighting and worshiping in their own untutored way.

About the middle of the eighteenth century, Bruce, a Scotch wanderer, pushed the door open just a little, and since that time it has never been entirely closed. It was a loud knock that the British gave in 1867, when they marched a big army to Magdala, from the Red Sea across a desert, up the plateau's side, and all because the half-mad Emperor Theodore had imprisoned a number of Europeans who were caught in Abyssinia about the time that an unanswered letter from Theodore to Victoria (the Foreign Office has its dead-letter department) had made the suspicious and vain barbarian ready to do murder to white strangers, as well as to his much-slaughtered native population. Not a. man was lost by the invaders, the prisoners

sovereignty in the table-lands and deserts that had forgotten Egypt's name some thousands of years ago. Abyssinia felt the strife of Islam's contending powers, the Mahdi beating at the western doors, while Ismail's armies marched and fought on the northern and eastern borders. The fantastic-heroic figure of Gordon, worshiping Christ and fighting for Mohammed, was seen struggling across Abyssinia from the Sudan to the sea. In such days of turmoil came Menelik, son of Hoilo Milekat, King of Shoa, into a bloody inheritance. While Theodore fronted the British at Magdala, the young Menelik raised an army and claimed the crown of Shoa-of Shoa only, not of the empire. That honor went to John, or Ras Kassai, whose good offices toward the British were valued at a certain number of rifles and something of helpful "influence."

A confusion of wars follows, with John

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gether Solomon with Sheba, the queen who came up from far Arabia offering gifts and her beauty to the Hebrew king. Not all the interwoven ingenuity of the divorce statutes of Dakota could give legitimacy to the birth of Menelik I (mythical head of the Abyssinian line of kings), nor could envy take away its illustriousness. But the mother of our Menelik (second of that name, twenty centuries after the first) was a wayside woman, they say, who gave to her son, however, as much of strength and energy as tradition has given to the very son of Solomon.

In the minds of Menelik's familiars there dwells, I believe, a sincere liking, even admiring friendship, for the man, as well as respect for the king. Such, also, seemed the sentiment of the few resident Europeans met in Addis Abeba.

His manner toward strangers is kindly, unostentatious; his interest in all things new, and to him understandable, is ever keen. He has already seen many of the smaller, transportable things of our material civilization, for the four European nations which, through their diplomatic agents, are good enough to watch Abyssinia (and one another) have sent many a camel and mule gift-laden on the long journey up from the distant sea. Shall a little bird whisper to him, "Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes "?

That best of wise little birds, strong common sense, has already, I think, spoken to the watchful king; and, after all, there is no Sinon among the gentlemen who so worthily represent Great Britain, France, Russia, and Italy at the court of the African monarch.

Whatever may be the ultimate designs of these powers, or, rather, whatever they may chance to do when "something happens," no one of them is now ready to try conclusions with Abyssinia, united under Menelik's rule; nor is any one of them willing to risk European war disturbance by a charitable attempt to "pacify it," should faction rend Abyssinia. There is among them, therefore, a most friendly appreciation of the quiet, smiling, hospitable Menelik, who welcomes, defies, watches, and justly entreats Briton, Muscovite, Gaul, and Roman.

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There remains another Russian interest in the person of Liontief,- Mr. Leontieff, Count Liontief, or the Duke of Equatoria, -a picturesque figure, perhaps adventurer, perhaps Russian diplomatic scout. His European title seems to be of his own making. The "dukedom" of Equatoria arises from a grant made to him by Menelik, with a proviso that Leontieff should first subdue the people, now independent, who inhabit the Equatorial Province, and provided furthermore that if any revenue can be had from the doomed savages, a portion of it shall be sent to Addis Abeba, together with evidence of the Should Menelik's death bring trouble (and, recognition of Menelik as suzerain. Inasalas! he has no recognized heir), two of these much as any other human being would seem 1 The Russian minister and his twenty Cossacks did not return to Abyssinia after going out to escape the rainy season of 1900. Two medical officers remained.

"After him the deluge; and may he live long!" is their cry; for a deluge is ever destructive, and there is always uncertainty as to whether one's ark has power to survive a storm..

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