Show BLACK I 1 4 I 1 aoi j GOLD ei S ei e ei i ei i by b I 1 it A S beatrice grimshaw e M i ei A by irwin lyns IV W 9 C g IV I 1 4 S copyright by el hutha 4 ft ual co C 4 8 service I 1 0 r v CHAPTER XII continued 22 i Is this road shorter him say bay suppose big rain no come this road plenty short hort it if we left at sun sunup UD UP when could we arrive relve rr lve him say morning time nez nex day what happens happen if it rains hlin him say altogether together il we die how plenty devil stop along this road madern big rain come breakey up you me get ready to start at daylight said pla pia tell him tt if he shows the wrong road and it if we dont arrive as toon soon as hi he says hell be shot it was pure bluff but she trusted to its carrying with the aid of sergeant kimol papuans do not wink kimol almol however gave the Stu abada a look that amounted to winking as he described in vivid language the trouble that would await that murderer should his guiding be poor the carriers settled down to rest kimol rolled himself up in his blanket and lay down across the open end of the carriers fly within sight of plas pias tent the old sergeant had acquired the art ol of sleeping with one eye more or less open on march suddenly he was broad awake there was some one outside the SIna badas tent reached his arm softly down the barrel of his rifle as it ii lay along his leg he could see gee the person standing in shadow it was not a native he rather thought it was the white man Si misson soa abat did he want there at night still watching the serg sergeant ge ant swung his legs over the end of the stick platform and raised the rifle to his shoulder what I 1 it was the other othe r Sin abada after all who con could id tell Tau badas from alua bada when they both wore trousers he had been very near firing bring crouching inside the fly sergeant simoi almol kept watch he did not approve of these late visitors of whatever sex he was here to protect his charge and he would do it what was the other Sin abada going into frito the tent for what were they talking about within the tent pla pis in soldierly khaki busy packing up her few belongings for the morrows start had been suddenly confronted by a vivid figure wearing slik silk pajamas wild hair bair flying in curls about its baoe jinny sobered many jinny in a new strange mood was there 1 I come to hear she said hoarsely what youre going to do but what I 1 wanted to ask you said pla pia looking sadly at the flawed beauty the wasting youth of her who was called gin 1 I cant think you knew what you were doing 1 I knew blasted well I 1 got him away arid and kept him away it was spicer made me you dont know that man hes bes silly on top but underneath tie be can buy and sell all the wise men I 1 always sort of liked him you understand I 1 married him when he asked me I 1 think hes another wife or two knocking about somewhere but I 1 reckoned id get what I 1 could out of him A girl has bas got to live you dont know you dont know much the like of yau you the light womans comans contempt tor for bread and butter innocence flashed out what are you going to do what are you 1 I dont know as that matters much to anyone but cut and run he a left me alone in the bush not tt if been nobody there but when the drink was out of him lie be got seared scared at what he doneald done and he tays says says he irm im on off tonight ill take the outfit and go and you can go to blazes or to mrs philip amory says he be for you got me into this trouble 0 says he and there a miner in papua will ever take a drink from me again so id better go south and swing owing a pick a at t newcastle says gays he and he be went and I 1 got no ins carriers and no do tent and it if you like to tell me to go to blazes same eg as he ne done cone you can do it youve eg as can youve every right no carriers I 1 pla pis had learned her yew guinea by now she understood as well as any miner or explorer what no carriers in the tar far interior meant it meant death death certain and little delayed it if she had been inclined to cast this creature out if she tad hated her as she well might have done for or the ruin jinny was bringing on the man they both loved even so it would not have been possible to desert her but na ila had no hate for jinny pity rather held field her of course you must come with us she said were trying to get through by a short cut in time to save ave the claim my carriers think it t can be done im afraid well have to hurry burry you yon you re going to but you yon cant she elmea up day alter after tomorrow udd day and spacer hes bea waltin there with his hl eyes gog gogelin glin out ready to put in his pegs if some iome one else beat him smithson he meant to so go back with the boys boy and me and see the fun spicer promised him half as much agela as as her fier voice rolce lbook oas as phil was allowan al lowin him to work it along with hlib him and he be promised me half of tile the whole thing he thought hed rought bought we me soul ant and body for that but I 1 knew the minute I 1 saw gaw you come in that the gain game e was up so BO far as I 1 was to in it IL I 1 was wa and when im im half toad mad but all the name I 1 knew when id sobered down a bit id be oft off the whole tiling thing im like that rm im on slid and im off and when im on theres nobody can can put me off and when im off the devil himself cant put me on im through with spicer and with smithson and with the whole d n crew and I 1 wish to god id never done it eniy bonfy its too late now its not too late if we start just at dawn arid and keep going hard bard we can get there before midday the day after tomorrow and were going to do it youre toure going to stop him cried jinny springing to her feet id give the heart out of my body to tee see him turned down proper hes hea hes bes made me hate ive done things that nil all the pussy cats meow nt at but I 1 never done a dirty turn to anyone before and its owan to spicer that ive A 74 A certain obscure instinct of physical repulsion kept her from the joint sleeping place done it now it if you do know another way we can get back by for gods sake take it and ill know what it Is to sleep again it was when I 1 heard from port that hed married you phil pall I 1 meon mean it was then I 1 went off me nut and spicer he took advantage of it im with you theres my band on it P she struck her thin fingers almost painfully into plas have you got anything to drink she finished with sudden pathos 1 I have one bottle of brandy in the medicine chest answered pla pis ill make it do said many jinny briefly well get there or well dle die CHAPTER XIII in the bottom of the river gorge it was extraordinarily still the thin tinkle of the romilly river among high boulders parched with drought seemed only to emphasize the absence of all other sound far away among the castellated heights that blackened the stars rock wallabies wall may have moved with loping thump winds stirred in wild grasses the stately cassowary sounded his loud drum but here at the bottom of all things in the great crack that seemed to cleave the very bowels of earth there was no life save that made tor for one night by the carriers the camp fires the moving forms and ch shouting outIng voices of plas expedition tion when these died down when suppers were over and hacking backing tomahawks silent when the natives were sleeping under their flies and the two white women had come out to sit tor for a few minutes under cool sky before they got beneath their close mosquito nets and went to rest then the stillness of the deep valley came forth once more in a slow flood wrapped all things seemed to climb higher and higher up the bare stone walls above the low exhausted river that was breathing feebly in the heart of it as life leaving the body of a man breathes ever more and more faintly through the rising tides of death it had been a hard day for both women forced to drive strength to the utmost behind the greater and more enduring strength of the men but strangely it had not been as hard mt al 65 ali an a either had anticipated pla pin was almost puzzled to find the whole party so BO near by all accounts to Tata tata they had traveled up the canyon without much trouble and readied reached a good camp well before dusk it win was too easy as roads went in that wilderness and in consequence it gave PIS ila to think there was no going back she had n anted that road and taken it but why was the carrier so strongly averse to using it and why would sergeant kimol when questioned say nothing about tire the matter by all showing this way saved a whole day of travel and ang yet so no far it had been neglected by the makers of the track 1 I 1 wish said fald ila iia suddenly 1 I knew more about this country many jinny was sitting on a rock near by A long way off among the peaks of the pla pis laurier range distant thunder broke grumbled and was still in the silence that followed on th the thunder peal jinny spoke 1 I know something about it she said ive been once on the field I 1 reckon its floods Is the matter here floods said via ila swinging round to look up and down the enormous gorge you told we me tile the carrier said the place was full of devils and when it rained the ali e devils came along and broke you up that means died die 1 I suppose it might be very inconvenient veu veni lent ent said via pla sergeant almol did mention something about it but diel die I 1 I 1 really dont see why one could not get out of the way if a flood came one lias hns only to climb up the too theres places you climb well then one could hurry along and find bud another place if time why you have time ive heard stories site elie said presently likely they true im going to bed pis pia sat eat a little longer out there alone to in the blackness of the canyon looking up at the river of stars that ran so far above A certain obscure instinct of physical repulsion kept her from the joint sleeping place made her feel as she had bad secretly felt last night that a twelve by fourteen tent was too small tor for her and tor for gene aleve trencher together but her innate n courtesy made her hide bide the feeling ill come presently she called its ICs so cool out here jinny made no answer she was flinging her clothes recklessly about in the tent and via fia could hear bear her muttering to herself nas ilas she been drinking again wondered the girl on the rock its a terrible pity she could be so fine she might even yet but it if that has got her her time will be too short how long she wondered with a certain fearful curiosity would it take a woman like her to reform change entirely make up tor for it all life had no answer ready to offer pla pis laurier that night by and by when jinnys jinnis mutterings rings and lingl had given way to silence the other entered the tent sat down on the edge of her bed and began to unwind puttees and unlace boots she felt that sharp eyes were watching her from behind the mosquito net of the other bed but she tried to remain or look unconscious of the fact without warning jinny burst out 1 I hate you I 1 think im mad she has not been drinking thought pla pis 1 I 1 dono what im doing it for went on jinny speaking more and more rapidly why should I 1 why should I 1 hand you over to him film and fill the pockets of both of you when I 1 could knock you over any one of them precipices or I 1 could set the carriers on to take your head oh you dont know theres nothing aa any man black or white wont do tor for me except one except the threatened storm burst she fell into frantic tears pis pia acted by instinct now her repulsion pul slon somehow had died jinny she said stop crying dear it hurts you to cry like that and it hurts me to hear you I 1 why should I 1 stop why I 1 I 1 get them to kill you and your sergeant too loo for two plus pins I 1 would I 1 you took phil away from me no said pla calmly 1 I did not that was done long before either of us met him cant we be generous to each other oilier jinny since we both care tor for him cant we want the best tor for him ive thought often that you might have been the best if you and he had met earlier say it out I 1 know what you yon mean if you know I 1 say many jinny I 1 cant give him quite what you might have given its a puzzling world things dont ever fit neatly as they d do in books theres something about me ma that trot not not TO BS BE CONTINUED mma i M i t im 5 |