Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 34: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

&24 so contented as when they know thev're being observed.”’ A half dozen of the boatmen had gath- ered in the shade not far away and were playing heads-and-tails with cent pieces. Marcia Oldham shook her head at them. “They’re cruel, greedy children,” she de- clared; “ and IJ think they’ve got the most unattractive faces I’ve ever seen on human beings. I’m sure we saw _ kinder-looking ones at Banjarmasin and Sandakan. Or is it my imagination?” The men laughed. ‘ You’re having a close-up,’ Lansdell explained. “ But they do make a person think. If immortality is a truth, what becomes of the souls of such as these?” “They take up their residences in the bodies of little serpents,” Marcia declared, not without a touch of humor. “ 1’m sure every last one of these boatmen has a dirk concealed about him.” “Ym afraid you’re not enjoying this little trip, my dear,” observed her uncle, with a trace of irony. To that Marcia made no reply. The sun had perched like a huge red flower on the top of the jungle when the boats moved on once more. Lansdell was seated in the place given him, recalling what Marcia had said about the Malays, and telling himself regretfully that he had done wrong to rouse her fears and suspi- cions, when he noticed a square piece of paper which was pinned with a bit of sharp bamboo to the woven and padded mat un- der him. He unpinned the paper. It was care- fully folded once. When he spread out the single sheet he found it covered with writ- ing—small, close, neat, and in pencil. Taking care not to seem surprised over the find—for the steersman at his back could look down upon him—he read the writing. Evidently the message was meant for him. Having read it once, he stared at it almost dizzily. Then he read it a second time, feeling less surprise and more con- cern. The wording of the communication was the strangest thing about it, for this was curiously old-fashioned, with a courtesy belonging to another time. But what the overformal phrases conveyed to Lansdell, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. already disturbed in his mind, set his heart to pounding. The note began: ESTEEMED AND Honorep Sir: It is with mingled pleasure and pain that I take up my pen to address you. Kindly favor me with a belief in my sincerity, while permitting me, by this paper, to inform you that four boats are richly loaded with rifles. CHAPTER IV. A STARTLING DECLARATION. “ ELL, who wrote that?” was Lans- dell’s next thought. “‘ Not Wray, because it’s just opposite to what he believes. And not Barker; he wouldn’t gain anything by letting me know how things stand—not at this juncture, anyhow. It would suit him better to take me by surprise. If Marcia wrote it—-but she didn’t, She could have told me this back there in the room.” He folded the paper into a small wad and thrust it into the watch pocket of his trou- sers. ‘We've got an educated Malay along,” he concluded. Then with a sense of gratification and triumph: ‘I said this was a bad expedition—it’s as plain as day! Barker’s hired a bunch of cutthroats to shoot up Moeara Koli and dig under Mahbong’s house. He’s swallowed that old gold-dust yarn, and is using Wray and poor Marcia as blinds. I’m taken along because the sight of me will down the suspicions of the victims. Also, Barker didn’t dare pass me and try the fool plan out. Well, by all that’s idiotic, we’re in for it!” Now came a sickening thought: unless he could interfere at once with the plans of a madman, the girl in the praz behind, innocent of any part in the disgraceful ad- venture, helpless, and unused to the sight of blood, had before her a frightful adven- ture. ‘““ Wray’s picked a dangerous criminal to escort them up here,” he said to himself, “and Marcia’s paying the bill. It’s as neat a plan as a crook could think up. What can I do about it—sow?” He thought of pretending illness, and tip- ping himself sidewise into the water, thus delaying the advance at least temporarily. An CO CO NOOK