Show B BEN BEN s w. w N. N u. u vice sae-vice SYNOPSIS George McAusland was 38 years old when hen hense se e sailed from America to undertake his post as a missionary In the Fiji Islands A crime he had committed In a Q fit of excite excite- rent had shattered all his confidence In He felt forced to avoid pretty hazy Uary Doncaster who boarded the ship it at Honolulu She was en route to visit ser ler parents who were missionaries on Gilead Island Mary was attracted by Georges George's attempts to avoid her One day George accidentally fell overboard Mary dove Into intI the sea to rescue corge who falls In love with her When the Ute boat approached her home on Gilead Island they learned that Marys Mary's parents Sad lad both died George volunteered to take charge of the mission Faced with the necessity ne nc- of losing Mary If he left her now rge forced himself to ask her to be his vile Mary accepted his clumsy proposal and ind they left the ship to live in her former some Dome on the island The he scanty dress of the natives shocked George at first but he loon became reconciled to their customs Mary discovered that Corkran a tailor lallor friend of Georges George's had deserted ship to live on the Island He had come there to help George and Mary If they needed him Their peaceful life was Interrupted one day when i ship stopped In the harbor In search of pearls CHAPTER V Continued V-Continued 6 G More than once Mary thought of Corkran wondered whether he could I do anything they were not wise enough or strong enough to do to check the plague but she dared not tend send for him and since George no longer slept in the afternoon she could not go to Corkran One day at dusk when she and George were in a hut but up the trail behind the house watching a woman die Mary heard a cry far away above them It was repeated nearer and nearer by successive voices till she caught the words and told George from the men watching the lagoon They've sighted a ship She said looking at the sick woman woman woman wom wom- an George we cant can't help her Lets Let's go back to the house Ja- Ja rambo will come there When came Mary listened listened lis- lis ened to him and translated for George The men on top of the mountain can see the ship she said But its it's still far away so soar far ar that the men on the schooner in n the lagoon cant can't see it But its it's coming this way What kind of a ship Mary Can it be the She questioned but he said the watchers reported this ship had lad only two masts George said uneasily Mary I wish we could warn Mr Aulgur You remember he le told us he thought that halfbreed halfbreed half- half breed might come back I dont don't think hed he'd want to be caught there said it would take all night for a messenger tp to cross the island He could not reach the lagoon lagoon la- la goon joon till after daylight and by that time ime the people on the schooner would be able to see the approaching approach approach- ing ship for themselves Nevertheless George insisted that try to get some warning word to Aulgur I UI hate his being here he said And were we're certainly certainly not responsible for his safety but ut I wouldn't want him killed agreed that the men would try Before noon next day they knew that their warning had failed to arrive arrive arrive ar ar- ar- ar rive in time reported that hat at dawn the other vessel was just outside the entrance to the la- la goon joon was talking rapidly and by jy the staccato of his words and of his lis gestures George knew that he spoke of action sharp and swift When the old man paused and Mary turned to George again her lips were white and trembling They killed him she said Then translating almost literally The UThe Themen Themen men on that new ship fought the men menon menon menon on Mr Aulgur's ship with guns Then boats from the new ship put off and came near the schooner and there were more shots from the boats till there were no more from the he schooner Then men from the new ship went aboard the schooner and there were no shots George nodded in stern under under- standing That half-breed half came back Dack he guessed Aulgur stayed here too long I suppose he knew the risk but I wish we could have got word to him Tell his men must watch and tell us what the men on the new ship do She interpreted the command Ja Ja- Ja- Ja rambo made a gesture spoke a word or two George Georce looked at ot Mary inquiringly and sh she explained He thinks they'll come around here to get girls He feels that he knows what to expect from white men She saw her husbands husband's lips twitch but he only said Tell him to watch II It they come here we must know beforehand She repeated these instructions and ond she added a suggestion of her own tell the white man with the talking bird what has hap hap- He looked at her briefly Corkran's presence on the island had hod never been mentioned between them although he must have known she knew He made an as o cr J sign and trotted away CHAPTER Vi That afternoon reported that Aulgur's schooner had been worked out into the open sea and andset andset set burned and sunk He laid aid there were three white men on the now ship and on on whose kin akin was not so white yet who moved with the whites and spoke loudly to them as though in command The white men came ashore and went along the beach J thought they were hunting fresh water That man whose skin is not so white George guessed must be bethe bethe bethe the half They had other news later That night after they were abed Jaram Jaram- bo reported Mary listened and spoke in a whisper as though they might be overheard It was so dark that she could see only as asa asa asa a blurred shadow killed the half-breed half she told George One of the white men shot him in the back without a word on the beach this afternoon George reflected calmly in the darkness I suppose after he showed them the way here he was of no further use to them She thought with a high and loyal pride that there was no hint of fear in his voice She repeated the rest of report They have six to dive Ten men altogether George and to tonight tonight tonight to- to night they all drank and were drunk Their shouts could be heard He said quietly Ten Tell Ja Ja- Ja- Ja rambo to keep us posted I wish I had a gun As it is we cant can't fight them but we can keep out of their way When the comes fornes or orthe orthe orthe the Morning Star we can arrange for security for something But till then well we'll have to skulk in the jungle jungle jungle jun jun- gle like animals Its It's hateful but its it's the only thing we can do That night Mary thought once she heard distant drums It might have been the surf but when she rose inthe in inthe inthe the morning was squatting on the platform outside the door and at the sound of her step behind behind behind be be- hind him he looked up and she saw sawa a curious red flicker in his eyes When he spoke his voice was J 19 4 s rf l 0 r r h l Mary sat beside George Haul taul squatting a little way off hoarse and deep as she had never heard it George heard them and called to bid her explain to that if and when the schooner came around the island they would all draw back into the jungle and hide She did so but said in calm negation negation negation ne ne- ne- ne i gation My people are sick When they are sick they will not move They will stay She said nothing trying to understand understand understand under under- stand what it was in that had changed him He squatted at ather ather ather her feet scratching at one of the stones in the platform with his fin fin- He looked up at her with small blazing eyes Long time once we were men he said in that deep hoarse tone My father met the first white men who came He ate their livers There was a great white man with red hair who killed many but my father came behind him with his war club and the white mans man's red redhead redhead redhead head broke as easily as a coconut My father ate his right arm and was always strong afterward He scratched industriously at the stone 1 L When VY a Ii white man is not noi looking looKIng his head can be cracked I There was a sort of chant in his tones like the rhythm of a rising madness She said gently to quiet him My father was a white man His eyes touched hers He was our friend I was at his side al al- al- al ways You and your man are my people His eyes dropped again But your man does not know our people They will not go She told George when he came out to join them what said about the probable attitude of the Islanders George insisted They must Mary If U we cant can't argue them into it well we'll drive them will do what I say Tell him to talk to them now and explain what they must do And that day and the next he himself led to the huts up the trail and along the shores and he and Mary stood by while spoke to the Islanders Island Island- ers Mary prompting the old man who obediently repeated what he was waa told to say nay George by his own activities was reassured be beall beall beall all right when the time tune comes he insisted is explaining it all to them Its It's the only sensible thing to do But the second day at noon word came down the mountain that the schooner was working her way around the island and an hour later later later lat lat- lat lat- er when he had labored with th them m fruitlessly even George was convinced convinced con con- vinced that the people would not go He accepted the situation steadily enough They wont won't move move he said Whips wouldn't drive them But Mary you go I cant can't let these men see you She asked what he intended and he said Ill stay and meet them Then I ought to be with you He shook his head Ill be allright all allright allright right alone he insisted They have no reason to hurt me and Im I'm not afraid of them But with you here Id I'd be afraid what they might do to you and you would be a reason reason reason rea rea- son for them to kill to-kill kill me Mary I want you to go She was deeply reluctant to leave him She remembered Corkran and she thought with a guilty sense of disloyalty that the sailor and his talking bird might have more influence influence influence ence with the Islanders than George might persuade them to hide as George desired Corkran must be benear benear benear near at hand ready to do what he could if he were needed The thought gave her new confidence She said All right George Ill I'll do whatever you say Ill I'll hide if you want me to but Im I'm not afraid to stay with you I want to stay here if it will help If U I know youre you're safe Ill I'll be beall beall beall all right he told her You can help me most by going into the hills So Mary consented and since George thought the schooner might come into the bay tonight he wished her to go at once put her into the care of two young men and they took her far up one of the trails that climbed steeply among the peaks to the house of an anold anold anold old man whom her father had called Isaiah who was now called who lived like a hermit high above the bay When they came to his house the young men explained why Mary was there made sounds of assent and he led the way to a bold promontory promontory promontory tory from which they could see the schooner south of the Island moving moving moving ing slowly on light airs At sunset she was still far away Mary and the old man and the two young men her guardians slept that night on a great bed of heaped dry grass with a coconut log polished by long usage to serve as pillow for them all The three men slept without without without with with- out sound but she lay long awake thinking of George George she understood understood understood un un- un- un well enough was always afraid yet he never yielded to that fear nor admitted it except that he had now admitted that he was afraid for her sake When she slept at last her dreams were troubled and when she woke it was with a leap of her heart as though some outcry had alarmed her When they had eaten dipping to together together together to- to gether into the gourd led them again to the outlook to watch the schooner work her way into the roads and drop anchor there No canoes went off to meet her and Mary thought happy in his victory George would not let them go Hours later they brought George to her slung in a hammock of vines between two poles his eyes closed his lips white He was unconscious but he was alive Mary when she saw that George was still alive wept with grief because because because be be- cause he was hurt but with gladness too because now she could tend him and keep him here secure Four young men had brought him They laid him down and old drew near Mary saw that a bullet had entered entered entered en en- Georges George's left breast near the side coming out under his arm tearing the thin muscles of his arm armas armas armas as it emerged When the hurts were exposed leaned closer and touched the wound of entrance firm firm- ly His fingers like claws felt along the ill-fleshed ill ribs to the spot where the bullet had emerged and then the theold theold theold old man clicked his tongue and stood up and hobbled away George lay limp and still his eyes I d h d d 1 at th t c U ose ILL IU 1115 s U ea U vu on one Ulie si a wi ou strength in his neck his hands limp on the mat upon which they had laid him Old returned mumbling to himself with leaves fresh plucked and a bulbous fr fruit it He squeezed juice out of the fruit upon the wound of entrance bade the young men turn the hurt man on his side while he applied the stinging juice to the torn wounds below the shoulder and on the arm Then he bound leaves over these wounds with strips of torn petticoat which Mary offered him When George was bandaged spoke to the young men Within With With- in the hour George had been carried carried carried car car- ried deep into the forest a shelter had been reared for him of poles bound together with vines and thatched with palm and breadfruit leaves and he and Mary l were hidden hidden hidden hid hid- den safe away Mary sat beside George squatting a little way off mumbling to himself TO BE CONTINUED |