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Show PARQOT6- CD flAROLD MCGRATfll mj Author c The Carpe trromDadadSK The Place Honeymoons, etc. jr CCPYRIG1T BY T1 BOB&J-flEfiRILL OQTJPAtlY W SYNOPSIS. 12 Warrington, an American adventurer, and James, his servant, with a caged par. rot the U'io known up and down the Ir-rawaddy Ir-rawaddy .5 Parrot & Co., are bound for RanKOOn. Elsa Chetwood, rich American plrl tourist, ses Warrington and asks the purser to introduce her. He tells her that Warrington has beaten a syndicate and sold his oil claims for 20,000. Warrington puts Rajah, the parrot, through his tricks for Elsa and they pass two golden days together on the river. In Rangoon, Warrington War-rington interferes in a row over cards caused by an enemy, Newell Craig. Klsa is annoyed by Craig and stabs him with a hatpin. Warrington discovers Elsa on the Singapore steamer. He avoids her. Craig is aboard and is warned by Warrington who ceases to avoid Elsa. Craig stirs up evil gossip. Elsa tells Warrington of the hatpin incident and he hunts up Craig, on murder bent. He finds him stretched out drunk on deck and turns the hose on him. At Penang Mallow, who drove Warring-1 Warring-1 ton from his plantation when he learned j his story, comes aboard. Warrington tells '.Elsa that Mallow and Craig both will tell that he spent money that did not belong ,to him over the gambling table to Craig, and asks her not to speak to him again. JMallow baits Warrington, who keeps his (temper. At Singapore Elsa calls on her father's fa-ther's old friend the American consul gen-jjeral. gen-jjeral. Mallow calls and relates the steamier steam-ier gossip about Elsa. Warrington also Rcalls and sends a cable to the Andes Con-fistructlon Con-fistructlon company, offering to restore the stolen money if they will lift the ban. Elsa defends Warrington to the consul general, who is dubious. Elsa dines at the consul general's and meets the old I English colonel who cut her on the ship. ! He apologizes, talks with her about oon-i oon-i ventiona society rules and tells her that ! Warrington's real name Is Paul Ellison. ; CHAPTER XV. A Bit of a i-ark. Mallow gave Craig one of his favor-jite favor-jite cigars. The gambler turned It 'over and inspected the carnelian label, realizing that this was expected of him. Mallow smiled complacently. They might smoke as good as that at the government house, but he rather doubted it. Trust a Britisher to know a good pipe-charge; but his selection of cigars was seldom to be depended upon. "Doh't see many of these out here," was Craig's comment, and he tucked away the cigar in a vest pocket. "They cost me forty-three cents apiece, without duty." The vulgarian's pleasure lies not in the article itself so much as in the price paid for it. On the plantation Mallow smoked Burma cheroots because he really preferred pre-ferred them. There, he drank rye whisky, consorted with his employees, gambled with them and was not above cheating when he had them drunk enough. Away from home, however, he was the man of money; he bought vintage wines when he could, wore silks, jingled the sovereigns whenever he thought someone might listen, bullied bul-lied the servants, all with the childish belief that he was following the footsteps foot-steps of aristocracy, hoodwinking no one, not even his kind. "I'm worth a quarter of a million," he went on. "Luck and plugging did it. One of these fine days I'm going to sell out and take a whack at that gay Paris. There's the place to spend your pile. You can't get your money's worth any rjlace else." Paris. Craig's thought flew back to the prosperous days when he was plying ply-ing his trade between New York and Cherbourg, on the Atlantic liners, the annual fortnight in Paris and the Grand Prix. He had had his diamonds, then, and his wallet of yellow-backs; and when he had called for vintage wines and choice Havanas it had been for genuine love of them. In his heart .v he despised Mallow. He knew himself ' to be a rogue, but Mallow without y( money would have been a bold preda-1 preda-1 1 tory scoundrel. Craig knew also that he himself was at soul too cowardly to )be more than despicably bad. He envied Mallow's absolute fearlessness, (his frank brutality, his strength upon which dissipation had as yet left no 'mark; and Mallow was easily forty-five. forty-five. S "When you go to Paris, I'd like to go along." i "You've never let on why they sent !you hiking out here," Mallow sug gested. "One of my habits is keeping my mouth shut." "Regarding your own affairs, yes. But you're willing enough to talk when it comes to giving away the other chap." "You can play that hand as well as I can." Craig scowled toward the dining room doors. "Ha! There they come," said Mallow, Mal-low, as a group of men and women Issued Is-sued out into the cafe veranda. "By gad! she is a beauty, and no mistake. And will you look at our friend, the colonel, toddling behind her?" "If you could get a good look at her when she's angry, you'd change your tune." Mallow sighed audibly. "Most women wom-en are tame, and that's why I've fought shy of the yoke. Yonder's the sort for me. The man who marries her will have his work cut out. It'll take a year or two to find out who's boss; and if she wins, lord help the man!" Craig eyed the group which was now seated. Two Chinamen were serving coffee and cordials. Mallow was right; beautiful was the word. He poured out for himself a stiff peg and drank it with very little soda. "Haven't seen the crow anywhere, have youf "No, nor want to. Leave him alone." "Afraid of him, eh?" , "I'm truthful enough to say that I'm damned afraid of him. Don't mistake me. I'd like to see him flat, beaten, down and out for good. I'd like to see him lose that windfall, every cent of it. But I don't want to get in his way just now." "Rot! Don't you worry; no beachcomber beach-comber like that can stand up lorrg'in front of me. He threatened on board that he was going to collect that 'fifty,, pounds. He hasn't been very spry about it." "I should like to be with you when you meet." Mallow grinned. "Not above seeing a pal get walloped, eh? Well, you get a ringside ticket. It'll be worth it." "I don't want to see you get licked;" denied Craig irritably. "All I ask is that you shelve some eft your cock-sureness. cock-sureness. I'm not so dead broke that I must swallow all of it. I've warned you that he is a strong man. He used to be one of the best college athletes in America." ; "College!" exploded Mallow. "What the devil does a college athlete know about a dock-fight?" "Ever see a game of football?" "No." "Well, take it from me that it's the' roughest game going. It's a game-where game-where you put your boot in a man's face when he's not looking.' Mallow, they kill each other in that game. And Ellison was one of the best, fifteen years ago. He used to wade through a ton of solid, scrapping, plunging flesh. And nine times out of ten he used to get through. I want you to beat him up, and it's because I' do that I'm warning you not to underesti mate him. On shipboard he handled me as you would a bag of salt; damn him! He's a surprise to me. He looks as if he had lived clean out here. There's no booze sign hanging out on him, like there is on you and me." "Booze never hurt me any." "You're galvanized inside," said Craig, staring again at Elsa. He wished he knew how to hurt' her, too. But he might as well throw stones at the stars. "How would you like to put one over, on this chap Ellison.?" ; ' "In what way?" '! Mallow smoked for a moment, then touched his breast pocket significantly "Not for mine," returned Craig:. "Cards are my long suit. I'm no second-story man, not yet." "I know. But supposing you could get it without risk?" "In the first place, the bulk of his cash is tied up in letters of credit.",'; , "Ah, you know that?" . . ;.. , "What good would it do to. pinch those? In Europe there would be some' chance, but not here where boats are two weeks apart. A cable to Rangoon Ran-goon would shut off all drawing. .He could have others made out. In cash he may have a few hundreds." "All gamblers are more or less yellow," yel-low," sneered Mallow. "The streak in you is pretty wide. I tell you, you needn't risk your skin. Are you game to put one over that will cost him a lot-of lot-of worry and trouble?" "So long as I can stand outside the ropes and look on." ' ";' "He has a thousand pounds in bis" belt. No matter how 1 found out... How'd you like to put your hand on it if you were sure it would not burn your fingers?" "I'd like to, all right. But it's got to be mighty certain. And the belt must be handed to me by someone else. I've half a wonder if you're not aiming to get rid of me," with an evil glance at his tempter. "If I wanted to get rid of you, this'd be the way," said Mallow, opening and shutting his powerful hands. "I'm just hungering for a bit of a lark. Come on. A thousand pounds for taking a little rickshaw ride. Ever hear of Wong's? Opium, pearls, oils and shark fins?" "No." "Not many do. I know Singapore like the lines on my hands. Wong is the Bhrewdest, most lawless Chinaman China-man this side of Canton and Macao. Pipes, pearls and shark fins. Big: money. Wong's the man to go to. Want a schooner rigged out for illicit, shell hunting? Want a man shanghaied? shang-haied? Want him written down missing? miss-ing? Go to Wong." "See here, Mallow; 1 don't mind his being beaten up; but what you say doesn't sound good." "You fool, I don't want him out of the way. Why should I? But there's that thousand for you and worry for him. All aboard!" "You don't love Parrot & Co. any more than I do." "No. I'd sleep better o' nights if I knew he was broken for keeps. Too' much red tape to put the United States after him. How'd you rig him?" "Faro and roulette. They nevtr tumble. 1 didn't have anything against him until he ran into me at Rangoon. But he's stepped in too many times since. Is this straight?" "About lifting his belt? Easy as falling off a log. Leave it to me. His room is on the first gallery, facing southwest You can chalk it up as re venge. I'll take it on as a bit of good sport. Wong will fix us out. Now look alive. It's after nine, and I'd like a little fun first." The two left the cafe veranda and engaged a pair of rickshaws. As they jogged down the road, Warrington stepped out from behind the palms and moodily watched them until the night swallowed them up. He had not overheard their interesting conversation, conversa-tion, nor had he known they were about until they came down the steps together. He ached to follow them. He was in a fine mood for blows. That there were two of them did not trouble him. Of one thing he was assured: Somewhere in the dim past an ancestor ances-tor of his had died in a Berserk rage. He had been watching Eisa. It disturbed dis-turbed but did not mystify him to see her talking to the colonel. Table-chance Table-chance had "brought them together, and perhaps to a better understandings understand-ings How pale she was! From time 'to time he caught the flash of her eyes as she turned to this or that guest. Once she smiled, but the smile did not lighten up her face. He was .very wretohed and miserable. She had taken him at his word, and he should have been glad. He had seen her but once again .on i board, but she had looked away. It was best so. Yet, it was as if fate had reached down into his heart and snapped the strings which made life tuneful. And tomorrow! What would tomorrow tomor-row bring? Would they refuse? Would they demand the full penalty? Eight thousand with interest was a small sum to such a corporation. He had often wondered if they tad searched for him. Ten years. In the midst of these cogitations he saw the group at the table rise and break up. Elsa entered en-tered the hotel. Warrington turned away and walked aimlessly toward .town. For hours, he wandered about, seeing nothing, hearing nothing; and it -was long' .-past midnight when he sought his .room, restless and weary DUt .Wide awake.' He called for a stiff peg, drank it, and .tumbled into bed. He was whirled away into broken dreams. He was in. the Andes, toiling with his girders over unspeakable chasms. A shifting glance at the old billiard room in the club, the letter, and his subsequent wild night of intoxication, in-toxication, the one time in his life when he had drunk hard and long. Back to the Indian deserts and jungles. And he heard the shriek of parrots. The shriek of parrots. He sat up. Even in his dream he recognized that cry. Night or day, Rajah always shrieked when someone entered the room. Warrington silently slid out of bed and dashed to the door which led to the gallery. A body thudded against his. He caught hold. The body 'was nude to the waist and smelled ? evilly of sweat and fish oil. Something whiplike struck him across -the Tace.' .It was a queue. 'Warrington struck out, but missed. Instantly a' pair of powerful arms wound, about -him, bearing and bending bend-ing him backward; . His right arm lay parallel with the invader's, chest. He brought-, up the . heel of his palm viciously 'against the Chinaman's chin. It Swas .'lEUffrcient to break ' the hold. Then followed a struggle that always remaftiecT'Biglitn'iarish to Warrington. Hither and' thither across the room, miraculously' avoiding chairs, tables and bed, they surged. He heard a ring of steel upon- the cement floor, and breathed, easier to learn that the thief had dropped his knife. Warrington never thought ..to call out for help. The old fear of bringing people about him had become a habit. Once, in the whirl of thirigs. 'hls hand came into Infill III I til! "You Fool, I Don't Want Him Out of the Way." contact with a belt which hung about the other's middle. He caught at it and heaved. It broke, and the subsequent subse-quent tinkling over, the floor advised him of the fact that it was his own gold. The broken belt, however, brought the fight to an abrupt end. The oily tody suddenly slipped away. Warrington beheld a shadow in the doorway; it loomed there a second against the skyline, and vanished. He ran to the gallery railing, but it was tpo dark below to discern anything. He returned to his room, breathing hard, the obnoxious odor of sweat and fish oil in his nose. He turned on the lights and without waiting to investigate, in-vestigate, went into the shower room pod. stood under the tepid deluge. Even after a thorough rub-down the taint was in the air. The bird was muttering and turning somersaults. "Thanks, Rajah, old sport! He'd have got me but for )aa. Lees see the damage." He picked up the belt. The paper money was intact, and what gold had fallen he could easily find. He then took up his vest . . . and dropped it, stunned. The letter of credit for half his fortune was gone. He sank back upon the bed and stared miserably miser-ably at the fallen garment. Gone! Fifty thousand dollars. Someone who knew! Presently he stood up and tugged at his beard. After all, why should he worry? A cable to Rangoon would stop payments. A new letter could be issued. It would take time, but he had plenty of that. Idly he reached for the broken cigar that lay at the foot of the bed. He would have tossed it aside as one of his own had not the carnelian band attracted his attention. He hadn't smoked that quality of tobacco in years. He turned it over and over, and it grew more and more familiar. Mallow's! CHAPTER XVI. Who Is Paul Ellison? For some time Warrington sat upon the edge of the bed and studied the cigar, balanced it upon his palm, as if His Hand Came Into Contact With a Belt. striving to weigh accurately Mallow's part in a scrimmage like this. The copra grower assuredly would be the last man to give a cigar to a Chinaman. China-man. Mallow, rich, was Mallow disposed dis-posed of, at least logically; unless in deed it was a bit of anticipatory reprisal. re-prisal. That might possibly be. A drunken Mallow was capable of much, for all that his knowledge of letters of credit might necessarily be primitive. Yet Mallow was no fool. He would scarcely take such a risk for so unstable un-stable and chancely a thing as revenge of this order. Craig? He hadn't the courage. Strong and muscular as he was, he was the average type of gambler, courageous only when armed with a pack of cards, sitting opposite a fool and his money. But Craig and Mallow together. ... He slipped off the label. It was worth preserving. preserv-ing. With an unpleasant laugh he began to get into his clothes. Why not? The more he thought of it, the more he was positive that the two had been behind be-hind this assault. ' The belt would have meant a good deal to Craig. There were a thousand Chinese in Singapore who would cut a man's throat for a Straits dollar. Either Mallow Mal-low or Craig had seen him counting the money on shipboard. He looked at his watch; quarter after two. If they were not in their rooms he would have good grounds for his suspicions. He stole along the gallery gal-lery and down the stairs to the office. Just in time to see the two enter, much the worse for drink. Mallow was boisterous, and Craig was sullen. The former began to argue with the night manager, who politely shook his head. Mallow grew insistent, but the night manager refused to break the rules of the hotel. Warrington inferred that Mallow was demanding liquor, and his inference was correct. He moved a little closer, still hidden behind the potted palms. "All right," cried Mallow. "We'll go back to town for it." "I've had enough," declared Craig sullenly. "Let's cut out booze and play a little hand or two." "Fine!" Mallow slapped his thigh as he laughed. "Nice bird I'd be for you to pluck. Think of something else. The billiard hall is open." Craig shook his head. When Mallow was argumentative it was no time to play billiards. "Bah!" snarled Mallow. "Since you won't drink like a man nor play billiards, bil-liards, I'm for bed. And just as the fun was beginning!" . Craig nudged him warnir.gly. Mallow Mal-low stalked away, and Craip, realizing that the night was done, followed. Warrington had seen and heard enough. He was tolerably sure. It might have been out of pure deviltry, so far as Mallow was concerned; but Craig had joined in hope of definite profits. A fine pair of rogues! (TO BE CONTINUED.) |
