Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

THE GOLD-DUST RAJAH. a" “If I could get Barker to pull in again,” he thought, “I might manage to stop the whole outfit right here. The best thing would be to coax Barker away from every- body else and stun him, then make them think he’s been taken sick suddenly, and urge a right-face.” But this had its dangerous aspects. “We'd be absolutely in the hands of the Malays,” he reasoned. “If they’re bent on the Mabong business, they’d go ahead—— Barker, or no Barker. And if we proved to be a nuisance, they’d make short work of us.” The plan was not good. “If I could only send on a warning ahead—”’ It was the next idea. ‘ That's out of the question, though. If there was a path, I could beat the canoes. But I’d have to leave Marcia here. I mustn't separate from her if I can help it. I wish I could spill the rations into the river. I wish I could put something in the supper of this bunch that would lay them all out!”’ Then he began to doubt the whole thing. “Why, Barker can’t be such a villain—he can’t be! And the Malays wouldn’t dare go in on this business if they ever intended to show their faces at a civilized port again. The sun's got me, or somebody's playing me a joke!” He laughed with relief. ‘“‘ That’s it!” he exclaimed. “ Wray told Barker what I said this morning, and Barker cooked up this letter as a joke. Fixed it up out of some old copybook that he remembers. Probably thinks he’ll make a fool of me before Mar- cia—it would, too, if I were to kick up a row. Yes, Barker’s trying to string me.” And yet his apprehension did not go. The men were driving forward at a good pace. Though the sky was all afire from a sun which was no longer visible, he knew that the distance between boats and camp was fast shortening, and Mabong’s village would be sighted before dark. “ First off, I'll show this paper to Marcia and her uncle,” he resolved. ‘ I’ll chance getting laughed at. I'll advise Marcia to pretend she’s sick; then I‘ll warn Mabong’s men, and pul! out into the river with two canoes. Wray can steer one, and 1’ll steer the other, and depend on the current to take us. I’d like to stay and help the vil- 825 lage, but I must think of Marcia first. Yes, getting away is the best plan. And there mustn’t be any waiting.” He would not leave the line to talk to Wray or hand the note to Marcia. The paddlers had their orders, and to counter- mand them would rouse Barker’s suspicions —not a wise thing to do prematurely. He forced himself to sit quietly in his place, his look on that helmet in advance, where Barker lolled in prau No. 1. But Lans- dell did not take things easy, though he was motionless. Up every boat length of the distance his will urged on the fleet. When the kampong was just before them the stream made a wide turn to the left, and it was on the point of that elbow, where the river was shallow and slow of gait, that Mabong’s people had built. At Lansdell’s village all the huts were on shore. But as the canoe line bent round a green pro- montory, if a low platform had not barred the way, Barker's prau could have gone be- tween the ironwood pillars of the first house in Moeara Koli. The village was large, the arrival of the fleet unexpected. Everywhere, on the open platforms under the scattered buildings, the people were lounging in the cool of the eve- ning. One hut was placed centrally and facing the stream. It was fully a hundred feet long. But under it were only a few women and children. “The gold-dust house,” was Lansdell's first thought. Here it was that any attack on the village would center. Before Marcia’s boat was alongside the river bank all of red-brown, foot-packed soll that was overlaid with powdery dust, the villagers were pouring out of their houses, and, babbling loudly, mingling in a stream which headed toward the fleet. Well to the front of the mob was an aged man whom Lansdell did not recognize. To his regret, he saw that on the old man’s thin legs were heavy bangles of gold. The old man led on proudly. the usual paddle in one hand, and he used it as a staff. A cap of monkey skin was perched on his head. From his ears hung triple ornaments that clanked at each step. His jacket was red, his waistcloth blue, and this last fell to his bent and bony knees. At the front lDOOlK