Show Black s e r y Beatrice Gl ha v d g by h OY V IRWIN MYERS forTI b C I G b CHAPTER XII Continued XII Continued i f 21 To the pair within the tent drunk drunk- if singing drunkenly caressing one onel oneter l ter the sight of Pia pin In tn the open vay Pia Pin slim erect rigid I I as its a ang ng soldier In her sporting khaki atwith cold accusing e eyes es beneath a n ary navy avy ry patrol helmet came cume as a dis dis- ng vision from some ome other world cy f sprang ng apart and it would be bea berd berd rd a to say whether the man or the I uttered the foulest words You You on head hend belong you owed lowed Sergeant Simoi enraged ii name fat t why you talk tan b badig bad d ig g my ada n Dy-n-bj b me break along bayonet That's Chats enough sergeant warned ISWalt outside for me She ped Into the tent and fixed a ady aidy ady idy dy accusing gaze on Smithson suddenly sobered had risen to his to-his Ills his hist t Its the by by he muted mitt mut ed d leaning one hand on the dis dis- red ered supper table and staring un un- his his tattered locks of hair Sir dr Smithson asked Pia with l curtesy will you kindly tell me husbands husband's s lyoU lyou you pre not at my mr nT Plenty of time Of retorted Smithson i log ing g up courage under a secret secrete g efrom e from Jinny Going back k to It 01 get good and read ready believe you are a gold minert miner t you rou know that a claim Is ford for for- ci d if left without Just lust cause for le Ie he dont don't need you to learn him Jinnys Jinny's shrill voice Pia did not notre notto re to her ber She turned toward Jenny Jinny sent ent her ber a glance In which pity ness and a 8 certain fear the feat the chaste ans an's n Irrepressible fear of the un- un te were te-were were strangely mingled You Yours Mrs firs rs SpIcer she said Im sorry ee ee you encouraging this man In inet et a of ot his duty r ITS tr SpIcer as much as Mrs Airs An Any Any- Isaid said sald Jinny Jenny More Mrs Sirs SpIcer i youre you're Mrs Amory by all ac- ac Int laughed a that She was feeling her r feet teet In this stran e medium remembered Jinny remembered Jinny-remembered remembered well How the girl had bad altered days on the great liner 1 l her beauty had coarsened how bow slim sUm firm graces of her dancers dancer's bac slackened Into ugly lines l ii hin n was Jinny always that per- per was her only chance of ot e e. e It had bad gone the grace race was with it youth and beauty too ere p-ere were passing away from Genee Gene- Gene e In the first moment could not account for so great a But Jinny uncomfortable beli beJ be- be J li that pitying gaze seized her filled nned champagne glass and empl emp- emp l lt 11 at a gulp hoar hoarsely el crying as asok took ok It from her lips sl gf Drink hearty well we'll soon be beu r u And Pia saw that the vice Ice Tinny's ninny's kind long avoided lI had I lit i her ber up at last She Site was in- in drinking heart hearty now she was cell well Iwen on the to fulfill way the lat lat- hilt l it of her famous war cry war cry for the lady pro ned M ned Smithson still not quite him him- r- r though considerably sobered r reached ched for a bottle hanks s no no f fell ll from Pias Pia's lips tips an I Icicle You haven't told me me- Mr ur r. r SmIthson why you come cOOle to e e. e I tI might as well tell you o J that r id my husbands husband's power of attorney am going up to the field to act for for forto came to be here answered th on with painful effort beto be E to o be here l He lie e offered be rightly as a complete ere re prospecting contri contributed h 1 putting down her glass elass and I a defiant stare UI upon Ullon on Fla- Fla Die Me JM she he T Theres There's re'S reS other gold h beside rOD on on ta which dont don't belong 1 L friend anyhOW As for tor powers Jowers it log lag oT site she went on on hurriedly ng out more wine and keeping face it turned ed somewhat I away I on ou u this is away friend Wend I a free flee country I t reckon dont don't have han to run ruu when wilen dy even ven Philip Mrs-Philip She e loaded loade each word I contempt It If Pia a In her preske pres- pres Was as of shaken ke s by the the chaste for the unchaste y IY on her part Jart was c bS Ight womans woman's S burning and amI eau perfect P S scorn for tor un l Innocent no girl Bin Elere dont don't dontE L YO you Indies ei rl 12 E M get OVer me m thiCkly saId sd Me Smithson Port ing n I ha ad himself by bj the tha tnt tent P poles moved over Ver towards Awards the door looking OWlishly yet with a curl curl- Interest at the vel velvet velvet- vet kled star star-be- sky I bl because I I came tame away away wa he 1 u e this lady wanted to gotine go tine gold mInes 1 minea let her go tine fine tile the all alone Naw l I She and whisky y and the hits that champagne fI a case poetry poetry n D ju u of of ln n or of Whisky and Sling Gin alongSide e of f ud d c ti-n ti you She and me the n nw w blOOD fi f JI much u. u the soberer ot of fLat the two yo let out a n sudden shriek flung herself half halt cross across the tent and slapped her Lingers fingers on Smithson's ons on's babbling bab bab- bUn bling l mouth Hold your tongue fool she cried To Pin Pia He lie dont don't mean anything an thing n 1 1 i mean he means that the moon moot mal makes B lulu him worse than he Is Its It's like that with loonies of all sort sorts He lie gets sort of wild You know She had hud pulled herself lt together with marvelous completeness was lighting i and smoking a cigarette arette She Site did not look at Pia Pin nn any more Dont mind us she slie said Were rough but were we're honest Kough diamonds ate mp and him You'll excuse us us please Ill I'll get him back to the field for you ou Im I'm fed up with prospecting I I made mude love lo to him and und got hi him in to come away with me because I wanted him to work for me you can put that In your pipe and smoke smote It If you yon like eu She stood JI ry t l bf i ld It f iTt iTte e eR R c ro s Dont Mind Us Us She Said Said- Were JV Rough but Were We're Honest with her hands on her ber lean hips bips starIng starIng staring star- star Ing at Pin Pia Pia straight helmeted armed as a young Joan of Arc Are with blue pure eyes burning In a 8 face of ot mountain snow paused still as the night outside her mind on full stretch over this new v problem What bad had the moon to do with It There was small chance of t finding Ending out anything here In this reeking I tent from the half drunk pair who were certainly not prospecting whatever whatever whatever what what- ever their business In the bush might be Without a word Pia Pin turned and walked d away followed by tile the ser ser- geant gant She lingered a little on the way back to the camp The carriers were noisy she could hear them shouting and singing How they were shoutIng shouting shout shout- Ing Dancing too When sIte she came out Into the open clearing she could see by the light of the fires dark forms form whirling and leaping as If possessed possessed pos pos- by demons e They made such sucha a noise that at first she site could not dis dis- distinguish what they were singing singing although al aI- though some words seemed strangely familiar Then over the shouts of ot the and carriers came loud and clear the cry of som some Port Por Moresby bo boys Sail boys s 0 Sail 01 O I O Sall-O or T THin I Pia Iia knew the custom of saluting the new moon with that cry She glanced to westward where the forest fOIest sloping down showed a 0 wide stretch of sky t There In the west almost gone one hung one clear small strip of ot silver sliver like a 0 light peeling dropped ed from some fairy fruit New moon 1 I What had those people In the tent said suld about the moon Why had JInn Jenny Jinny struck Smithson when he spoke of It Why must she Pia know nothing about the moon the moon the moon which measured off months Oh I I It was a sudden cry Leaping LeapIng Leap Leap- Ing over a hundred unnoticed links her mind had sprung to the Cite end of the chain of ot thou thought ht She knew Thirty days of or desertion without hh h I dUe doc end and sufficient cause made void Told a claim who Smithson-who who couldn't resist drink or or- girls was girls was was here In the forest forest forest for for- est two d days y away from with Jinny and Jinny's Jinnys or Spicer's cases of champagne There were no calendars In the hush hush drinkers mem memo memories ones ories are treacherous If It you yoo wanted woofed to stay away Uy thirty days daig l I J 1 h guessing U UM i 1 out nut ir lr tl you ou did aid not guess If It you counted by something that wouldn't drop a 8 day here or there If It you Sou left nt at new m moon on and ga gave gate ye over your reckoning to something that was sure to come back In e exactly twenty twenty- eight da days s 's something that every native na nn Uve tive In sight would hail hall with saluta saluta- and loud cries then cries then you might be perfectly sure that you would stay away Just lust long enough Sergeant Simoi I said Pia PIn Go and get me Mr one-of one Smithson's car car- rl ers Y e replied Simoi as If It she had asked for a n handkerchief l 1 hrin bring him dead or I bring him live he Sinn Sina- Sir bada Alive of ot course and dont don't let anyone see you getting him Right The sergeant melted Into the bush It was some minutes before he returned returned returned re re- re- re turned driving before him an nn extreme extremely mely me- me ly 13 scared and very naked Papuan Come COIne on on OU you black cow encouraged encouraged encouraged aged Simoi You like I 1 handcuff him No certainly not Dont Don't frighten him Ask him when they left th the e field and be sure yOU you get the right answer er Me savvy nodded Simoi An Interchange Interchange In In- of ot questions an and answer followed J I said the sergeant saluting saluting ing him say say this man this woman time the new moon come bee Him twel o'clock he be sun on stop Give him some tobacco and set let him go Sergeant 1 I Tell hl him not to talk about this I tell em all right pr proffered the th e sergeant on r returning t I il I head belong him head hend all nl same same n along along pi Aire re him head hend up nl along ng my my dubu clubhouse suppose him too to much talk I Well sergeant Pia Pin looked looked into the face face anxious anxious kindly shrewd shrewd shrewd-of of the the dark sergeant the sa savage v ge dressed Inser In ser serge e and recognized zed man Simoi had sensed without ut understanding the crisis In which she found herself was offering blindfolded his help belp Its this sergeant she said briefly Mr Smithson was left to look out after my husbands husband's gold If It he runs away awny from It for o one one ie moon and two days another another man can steal It then there Is no gold for tor my man no gold tor for me Sergeant do you know the way vay to to the I 1 fleW I mean know It well I I 1 no savvy him too much Sina Sina- bada One carrier he savvy plenty village belong him stop two day along bush What I youve you've got ot a man IMy I lit IMy My word wOld yes fore Bee him bim killem one white maD man along Ta 11 road rond him go to Jail along g Daru this man he be good man he be savvy plenty plent Get him here Pia ordered Another wild naked creature was herded up Yes he be s said ld l In answer ver answer to the sergeant Me liMe savvy load road too much Tomorrow we walk we walk strong nother day we wc walk we walk strong nighttime we sleep morning time sun he come up big we come up along sun he go down we come along gole gobs fiel tiel Twenty eight days today counted Pia Twenty nine tomorrow Thirty the thc day after Thirty-one Thirty to arrive Sergeant I 1 Ask him does he know another way a way a shorter way No savvy said the carrier prompt ly Iy Pin Lila watched him he seemed to her mind a little too prompt Offer double pay she ordered No uNo savvy was the result result not not without a touch of temper Pia turned her back and walked of off to her tent Her man his fortune were hanging in the tile balance The cat streak that hides In all women women came to the surface She he became became be be- came cume cruel cluel In defense of ot her own Make him talk she flung over her shoulder as she went il My word me well make him was the sergeants sergeant's reply He reached for tor a n strip of lawyer cane It was only a minute or two before the murderer ex-murderer appeared sulking i shaking whimpering driven by Simoi I Pia Pla sitting on her camp bed as on ona a bench ench of j Justice questioned him and the tile sergeant translated dis d. d is Is there another road Simoi replied Him say ay yes t I Plenty bad road rondo full Cull up along devil lI TO BE me CONTINUED AX h h |