Show I 1 I 1 4 BL ac 4 I 1 SHIE SHEERS u ailed 4 4 G 0 L 11 I 1 t iti ii d 4 I 1 g P ai by S beatrice grimshaw A 4 iff j 04 4 V copyright by hugha maisla co A w v H service V CHAPTER XIV continued 24 whitson the storekeeper storekeeper on many a papuan goldfield ot of old times growing no younger but keen as eier eer on adding to its his gains sent the boy down to the storo store saw him back bach laden with beer that was priced like liquor brandy and distributed tri buted the bottles making memoranda 0 anda in his notebook the while they drank wiped hands sleeves handkerchiefs across their mouths took out pipes and cigarettes and smoked TI they ey talked nervously and jerkily as th the e minutes the quarter hours ran by some of them watched the team ot of is now clow close at hand 1 theres heres a fellow has been a police mail proffered pi offered one 1 I know the cut of them in or out ot of serge for all that lies hes got nothing on but a breechclout 1 I see him agreed whitson 1 I hould nt think lie he had been long out a of f uni uniform forin elther elthier elt lier they go back to the pack very quick chere was another silence the time now not twelve yet four minutes more said the oldest of the master mariners marinero ma those beggars are going to have their feast h here ere putting down their pig my illy G d men cried a new young miner suddenly no pig its a corp corpse sel I 1 the papuans had paused and set down their load the man whom whitson recognized as an ex police man was unwrapping the leaves out of the upper end of the bundle a hand showed long and pale what the magistrate warden said bald on the spur of that moment I 1 Is S better left unreported no magistrate warden likes to see corpses especially corpses that are wrapped in leaves and carried by papuan headhunters head hunters littering up his immaculate district and thus far Tata tata tats had really been immaculate a model to co all districts and all fields the vexed was plunging downward with the intention of arresting the whole party and confiscating fis the corpse when something happened that checked him as if he had been pulled up by a rope the bundle got up shed the wrappings of leaves and stood confessed as a living white man a slight young man in khaki and puttees put tees with a felt hat crammed down upon his neat darg dara head ile he staggered for a moment as if giddy and then steadying himself by holding unto onto the shoulder of the native who had been recognized as a policeman he ha called out the timer ehno two minutes to twelve mechanically ally answered one of the master inart marinero mariners ma ners raising his sextant to his eye the youth was standing right on the edge of camons claim before anyone could stop him lie had seized a pick that was lying there rushed across the claim and landed in ili the midst of the precious treasure hole beyond with all his strength which did not seem to be great lie he drove the pick into the ground lifted it and drove it again two or three times then he raised his head und still holding the pick cried out 1 I declare tills this claim re occupied and work done on it within the legal time by philip antorya Ani orya legal representative I 1 jumping shouted the old in master aster mariner its a girl a crimson girl I 1 its mrs airs phillp amory said pla and ill thank you all to clear off f from rom my husbands claim 0 the story has been told many times since on steamer decks in bars of tropic hotels through the long evenings of gold goldfields fields other than tata tata every one knows how pla and the wise old papuan sergeant dis trusting spicer salcer planned to make a secret ecret arrival so that no accident should hould delay the saving of the claim ilow how they traveled the greater part of the night how pla tired out but determined to go on decided to be carried for or the last stage of the trip slung to a pole as sick white people often are how between them she and kimol arranged that she should be tied up in leaves to took look like a pig while the carriers and shed d all vestiges of civilization and appe appeared eared as wild natives of the bush not for many a year will the story be forgotten of how the jewelers eliop B giop of Tata tata was saved 0 0 after afdera a storm comes a calm quiet W weeks e eks followed during which pla pin with the help direct and indirect of about halt the miners on the field worked her claim if K there was envy now and then over the results dofher ot her cleanup clean up 11 it if the man who measured the results of his weeks work by ounces and too few ot of them thein swore he be would give it UP bp md and so K batts back bat ts to Syd sydna Sy day nt when lip b say that rias bt bl weekly gathering was counted by pounds troy it tan de h her er popularity no less the whore of T tata a ta tata into field flefil frankly adored her two exceptions there had been spicer and cason against them the public opinion of the geld field massed itself so strongly that they thought best beat to sell their claims and so go was later heard of 0 in siberian gold fieldi spicer la Is acting as high class barker tor for an emigration agency I 1 take up my talo tale once more there came a day to koki jail and to me when the world seemed more than ever unbearable head jailer holly had been down on me again for neglecting to have my cell in order by the proper hour for trying to smuggle letters for answering back when reproved and threatening to punch his head bead because he pulled down a length of rubble stone wall over which I 1 b had ad spent halt half a day and told me to do it again I 1 was out at elbows with him with the colored prisoners with the weather which was unbearably hot and steamy and with the world and life in general there was no special cause beyond the recurring fits of wild impatience which I 1 had learned to recognize as inevitable by now news from the goldfield was good pla was well and hoped to come down for a few weeks holiday soon news from elsewhere was unimportant por tant the whole country seemed taken up by anticipation of the forth 1 ga X 4 1 it was a moment and no longer be for fora she woke but she woke in my aly arms coming visit ot of the prince of ulster who was to spend one passing day in port moresby before he ended his last long tour of the british empire and went home to be married the announcement of the future wedding had been received with loyal excitement the town was doubly decorated anyone who had ever seen the prince or the princess was a hero bero pla might have claimed more distinction in that line than any other had she chosen for she had danced with him some few years ago she had indeed been one of his favorite partners he eie had asked the authorities if she was to be in town and had even expressed disappointment when nhen he heard the lovely little australian could not be present whether the strange terrible romantic history of our sad marriage had been told to him no one in port moresby resby could soy say it was probable p ob able however one does not cross the wishes of a prince without explanation or apology or both i with pla well with the goldfield claim safa siofu with the country a tiptoe over the prince of ilsters Ul visit allind no special cause for or sadness for kicking as I 1 lid did kick in spite of my better self the pricks of prison pilson life yet I 1 was wretched I 1 looked forward four more years ahead since it wits too certain that good conduct allowances would never reduce my sentence und and felt not for the first time that life was unbearable the moud mood I 1 knew would pass I 1 was ashamed of it ashamed that I 1 could not pay the price pi ice I 1 had set out of pay without complaint rut but I 1 could and did save my self respect by telling myself that it was not always so that tomorrow I 1 might be more resigned that next nest month next year I 1 should have almost surely settled into my life at last taken up the jog trot stupid pace all prisoners should learn set out to cover the long ions long road to love and free freedom crum with at least a fair imitation of patience in the evening just before locking up nolly camo came to me and looked at me I 1 thought a bit oddly I 1 thought he be was going to speak and wondered vaguely what I 1 had been up to no but he said nothing he only state I opened his mouth closed it again an anil 1 went cokl jail stands on a hill bill tha th public road Is below it not very far awa away after I 1 had bad gone to my cell that that night I 1 was pursued by odd fancies about the road that wits was nothing new it obsessed me at times as I 1 daresay visible roads obsess prisoners the wide world over trouble them call to them this time however it was waa my ears not my eyes that were in question from the elred ln in veranda I 1 could only see dark sky white stars the sea below the jail cut but from the other side aide the road side sounds kept corn com lag iba or I 1 thought they did strange sounds like cheering windy cheering borne on the night breezes and swept away again cheering that paused at times to center itself into a name re peat the name then thea follow up with hip hip hoo hooray rayl 1 they are cheer cheering lug somebody I 1 decided at last what the devil do they want to come and do it down at A the jail gate for hoorays thata wint saying not amory it beby be by G d though tt it tal for the last cry had been unmistakably black sheep 1 black sheep I 1 I 1 one might conceivably mistake the not very shou table name of 0 amory but the sharp syllables of the other admitted no misunderstanding from the open world a wind of freedom seemed suddenly to blow over me mounting to my head like wine what news can there thare be tor for a prisoner what good news save onet one thing bing only I 1 battered with my hands and feet on the walls I 1 shouted till head jailer holly deserted his supper and came along in no very friendly mood I 1 demanded to know what had hap bened lie he did ala not reprove me as he might have done dona the day before lie ile only told me that I 1 was the most troublesome prisoner that had ever set foot in the jail and that id hear anything there was to hear bear in the morning it if he got his orders then lie ile also said id better hold my tongue and give no more lip but his tone was halfhearted half a f hearted so then I 1 knew when he had gone I 1 flung myself on my bed and found myself crying tears of joy they told me all about it next day the prince 0 of f ulster god bless him had asked for prisoners to be released on the do double u ble occasion of his visit and his coming marriage and had f tor or port moresby selected me there was a day or two to pass before certain formalities were observed the time went silver footed head jailer holly slacked his severities became almost at once comradely youre a d n bad prisoner amory lie observed 0 er a friendly cigar but its mostly the worst ones are the bests best I 1 wish you good luck you and the tittle little lady and I 1 hope hold no grudge against me tor for doing my duty no 1 said no but I 1 was not thinking of him for the launch was engaged and the cargo loaded and ad I 1 was to be oft off to Tata tata land and freedom and love at dawn 0 0 0 0 news travels slowly in papua I 1 took my own with me I 1 traveled down to Tata tata from t tho he top of the basin by night it was in my mind that I 1 would reach her by dawn that in the first pure golden hours of day our meeting should take taka place the sun was not yet up when I 1 came out of the forest onto the flat land and saw close before me the house that I 1 know knew from her letters to be hers L paused a moment to look back at the high fair peaks of the pla ila L lindler birler range just blushing into rose before the earliest kiss of dawn and then I 1 opened the door of the little house and quietly went in she was asleep it was a moment and no longer before she woke but she woke in my arms 0 0 0 we bave our plans tor for the use of the money there will be roads brid bridges gos buildings in papua such as the next half century would never have given her but for pla and for or me thera will ft be great hospitals for tile study of tropical disease there will be immense plantations of all kinds of food so that no one white or black shall ever want the necessaries of life what else may follow we do not know yet life Is before us and the world Is wide THE END |