Show F XI X I 4 j BLACK I 1 S I 1 J 11 E E P S I 1 GOLD 1 14 1 afi I 1 it by I 1 bearrice Bea erice grimshaw Grimsh nw 04 1 04 0 4 by irwin mayeri 4 0 44 0 4 i copyright hy by hughes hughea 04 4 bl assle co 4 04 0 K 4 W som lee 4 ca fa THE STORY on a pleasure trip in eastern waters philip amory english world war veteran now a trader on tire the island of papua new guinea plunges overboard to tave save the life of a musical comedy actress known as aa gln gin sling amory becomes interested in rid pill laurier Laur ler member of a wealthy new south wales family fit trilly he tells her of his knowledge of a wonderful gold held field on the island though he does doe not disclose the nutria name of the place oln gin sling tells him pla pin la Is engaged to sir bichard ranshaw fanshaw amory however la Is confident that the girl Is ii not indifferent to him his holiday ended he arrives back at daru lie he meets an englishman spicer there on development business tor for a syndicate of which Fana liaw Is head bond fanshaw a ninie name recalls to amory a long lone forgotten incident in which he witnessed the escape of fanshaw from a leper colony lie he tells tella his friend bassett about it CHAPTER IV continued 8 its not what you would oil call material to the evidence I 1 answered answer bassett but you can take it 04 so 1 if you like very well do you know where her parents are could find em cm I 1 suppose the only thing to do Is to tell them mind they may not believe you the storys thin and I 1 daresay they know you are gbye on the girl g irl yourself the mother does and shed poison me if she could was nay my reply what if the marriage la Is coming off immediately it pointed out bassett Bas sctt if f hes going on this trip but if you have any uneasiness on that point you CID can go 90 to thursday island and send a wireless for all australia to cross to cape york and get the land line 1 I dont mind said I 1 thoughtfully if I 1 do you see it may seem bool foolish but I 1 cant help fearing she might be attracted to the country ashes dead nuts on hearing about it dont forget black sheep said bassett and I 1 knew by the nickname that he wanted to say eny much he be would certainly leave unsaid much kindness much consideration tor for that which could not be helped or consoled dont forget that theres such a thing as a law of libel if you make mistakes you may have to pay for them very dearly ill pay anything and everything I 1 said risings rising ill pay my life if I 1 have to Th thanks anlis ill do as you suggest the sooner I 1 can get to T I 1 there I 1 stopped halting in the middle of my walk to thu the door A sound had checked me what w was that I 1 said to the IL M in a low voice I 1 had thought I 1 heard a noise just under my feet a sneeze suppressed yet audible not coming from outside I 1 we stood two figures turned to stone etoni and listened I 1 dont know what bassett thought I 1 had heard maybe the beginning of a revolt among the manester ma neater and murderer prisoners lightly confined in a wooden jail all some few score yards bards away maybe the movements of some half crazed native oppressed with the strange madness that has filled a few hurried graves in west theres nobody said bassett I 1 did not answer him I 1 made a sudden dart for the steps down the steps under the house where eight foot high piles made a little forest of darkness and secrecy beneath the residency floors doors there was nobody there but in the garden the peering waterlogged water logged moon showed me a spray aspray or two of the hibiscus hedge in sudden agitated motion I 1 jumped the hedge end and came down unexpectedly on something large and dusky that heaved beneath my f feet beet and threw me off as a bucking outlaw throws its rider I 1 fell recovered myself and saw down the croton avenue a man running away ue he was tall and thin and he ran in a flat footed heavy plunking mariner manner that instantly suggested to me two large flat feet I 1 had boen earlier to the evening I 1 said to myself and gave anase it had begun to rain again the paths were vere slippery and the crash of falling water on drenched and down beaten leaves made noise enough to cover any retreat vain lay iny torch I 1 caught a glimpse of the fugitive lost him thought I 1 saw him again and finally pulled up on the beach road near the trader Maid stones alone we arent formal in We western sterli kaupua I 1 went at once and knocked at door chos sick was his first query who it la Is amory I 1 answered nobody sick Is your boarder in lies not a bonnier boarder we dont talce take boarders boarder fi was Maid stones answer if you mean the nut who blew in today hes in bed surer maidstone disappeared well now its a queer thing lie he commented coming coining back bach and standing an odd pajo mad figure ou on tire the soaked veranda boards which reflected his hare bare feet like ice fee iles hes not there eli eh what are arc you d ning him for lie done 1 I dont know what he done 1 answered furiously for now I 1 was vas almost sure this spicer tire the creature of Vi Fans inshaw liaw had overheard every word I 1 said to bassett brenac his neck he comes in or chuck him to the alligators its the best thing you van can do with him well now the wife like any rudeness answered Mald malmstone stone placidly 1 I suppose lies hes got a right to go in the house or out of tire the homm as tie he likes you lou go hack back to your store phil amory ought to he be in bed good alight 11 I 1 did not go to bed I 1 went back to bassetts bassetta Bas Il bassett lassett I 1 said bolting up the staircase that brute of a spicer chap was underneath the house you go to bel bed amory and let other people go lie he answered Your ci fanciful 1 I saw him I 1 tell you was my angry response running away among the mangoes manghes man goes and Mald stone said lie he there tackle him yourself tomorrow morning counseled bassett arent you going to let anyone on the island go to sleep be off black sheep or ill arrest you 1 I can tell you this was my parting shot theres no power in papua will ret get me to thursday island now nevertheless when morning came cam I 1 began to think differently I 1 went to Maid stones as early as possible spicer was lounging on tho the veranda in mrs Maid stones special chair with a tin of Mald Maid stones special cigarettes at his bibow maid stones boy was busy fetching him matches soda coda water another cushion for his bis bead a magazine to read mrs mra in the background was flying about busy and energetic as usual slim blue eyed pretty in a belated schoolgirl sort of fashion this middle aged woman of the outback was a constant wonder to me sho had seen and done almost nil all that tho the hardest cases in west papua had seen been and done run risks in earlier days that made ones heart stand still to think of nursed many a man through accident or fever laid out and dressed for burial some borne of them she had taken in houseless strangers until the small profits of the store were eaten into almost beyond bearing she had lived hard and known no luxury for years faced danger like ilke a man and done a womans comans worl withal she was the merriest thing in western papua and but for a line or two and a grdy gray hair or tw two 0 you might have given her five and twenty years I 1 jumped straight into the heart of things which habit Is one of my most incurable faults but what I 1 life Is short id rather jump into now and then a hidden bidden swamp than spend days painfully walking round dusty roads do you mind telling me I 1 said what you were doing under the R M s house last night I 1 expected a plain denial more or less angry but spicer was too clever tor for that oh 1 come now he answered with a man 1 ot of the world air and something like a wink you cant expect me to give an account of my wanderings about this very fascinating island after dark no black sheep I 1 cant let you baa baa at me leave that to the missionaries I 1 could have knocked him off tho the veranda with the utmost satisfaction I 1 am not sure that I 1 have done it in spite of mrs airs Mald Maid stones presence it if something had not told me to move carefully keep a lookout look out for red berrin herrings ggs trailed across the track my name to Is amory I 1 said what were you doing lie made as if to dig die me in the ribs with a white splayed forefinger I 1 think the look in my eyes made him draw it back for never without actually doing it was I 1 nearer to tb smashing in any mans face in my life naughty naughty was what he be said ladles ladies present mrs maidstone Mald stone I 1 dont know how managed to melt away really neally I 1 said 1 I have my reasons which I 1 dare say tor for I 1 was beginning to thanh he heard anything you know nothing about 1 I saw you if not under the house certainly close to the it IL al fi in tho the middle of last night and when I 1 chased you you jou ran awny away you bet I 1 did said spicer with a giggle thought you were the enraged husband for a aliver bassett DaB sett married I 1 told him the warder Is be sniggered ered very pretty wife too now this bewildered me for I 1 did know tallian tallinn Tal linn unit the wife of the native warder and I 1 had seen her only a week before brought up in court by her husband in connection with a charge of stealing her which he be was waa making against another native galuna was no saint and for a kapun she bho I 1 was unusually unusual ly good looking it was also true that the warders house was within a stones throw of the place where I 1 had stumbled over spicer I 1 know what to think mrs maidstone Mald stone canie caine back at that moment with a tray of glasses interrupting I 1 fan fancied cled deliberately tho conference she offered us whisky I 1 took two lingers fingers of it spicer took some more soda water it added to my dislike of him I 1 have always held that theres ng as likely as not to bo be something wrong about either a teetotaller taller or a nonsmoker non smoker it if not wrong half baked grunted granted that there are exceptions spicer I 1 did not take to be an exception I 1 knew that bassett who was I 1 shrewd enough thought 1 I had been wrong in supposing to DO be listening under the house I 1 knew too that he be did not tell me chrit a man who Is overwrought excited and begins to hincy himself soled upon way may be in rather a bad way perhaps it ans mary alary maidstone Mald stone who gave tho the stroke to my suspicions are arc you two tivo done quarreling she bho asked gaily as aa I 1 put away the tray I 1 had taken from her hands and if you are can I 1 ask you phil when youre going across again I 1 want you to do roe me an errand across meant the trip of miles from this near point of papua to australia it depends I 1 answered her on mr spicer now how on oa me asked spicer brusquely 1 I heard I 1 answered him evenly that you wanted a number of boys recruited I 1 have a good cutter and know the villages id be glad lad to make you a price it if he heard me my thought ran j if he knows that im on off as aa fast as I 1 can go to put a spoke in fanshawe Fan Fari shaws wheel hell try and keep me here nothing simpler but spicer it seemed did not want me to stay theres no hurry he be said patronizingly izing ly take your time I 1 shall stay here another three weeks 1 I saw mary maidstone Mald stone make a faco face of dismay behind his back im waiting for the papuan chief to bring tha rest of the members of the expedition along of course I 1 am leader next to sir richard and I 1 have hava all the organizing in rny ray handa bands if you want to run across dont mind me thursday isla island ad OT thirsty hIrsty island every one knows it he laughed rudely and looked at my emptied glass now I 1 am not a drinking man it if I 1 do once in a way shift a glass before the suns over the yard I 1 felt once onca again exceedingly inclined to pick a quarrel with this spicer once again remembered that I 1 could not afford to do so if I 1 wished to make sure of certain th things rings very well I 1 said watching hla his face ill start across today anchor at cap and get in early tomorrow mrs maidstone malmstone Mald stone if youve any commissions ill be delighted to attend to them right you are answered my hostess cheerfully with something of her gay schoolgirl manner coming just a see sec and ana ill give you yon my list she went off into the storo and apfer who had not altered by zo so much as a line the expression of his bis large flat countenance took the cigarette out of hla his mouth to remark good trip to you it was a dismissal somewhat in the royal man ner I 1 hold myself in from answering him as I 1 wished and followed wary mary maidstone Mald stone hotels in thursday island of which there are a surprising number are never the same twice visited pro prie tors managers and manageresses manage vary almost na as the seasons go the tha grand Cosmo cosmopolis polls where I 1 put up looked much as usual there was it a desolate big dining room with a pilot eating his lunch slowly and ly as pilots do alone TO BE CONTINUED |