Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

THE GOLD-DUST RAJAH. his face their way. He had a pinched nose, and narrow, cruel eyes. His jaws were sharp, and he seemed never to close his mouth, letting the long underlip hang down toward his pointed chin. ‘‘ He suggests a death’s head,” said Mar- cia, and shuddered. ‘' He's a bad actor, that,” returned Lans- dell. ‘‘ As‘for the others, they’ve been ter- ribly mistreated in all this. Think of it, Marcia! Men of our own race—men who’ve had every chance to know how to behave themselves—who’ve been raised on the peak of civilization—have wronged these simple savages, who’ve never had half a chance! Isn't it rotten!” ‘It makes me ashamed,” she declared. She brought herself to the asking of that question which was uppermost in her mind. ‘And those two men,” she said, her eyes fixed upon his face; ‘‘ have they paid for what they’ve done?” “We can’t be very hopeful,” he admit- ted. ‘They were at the very center of the trouble when it broke.” ‘But still vou think that you and I—” She paused, unwilling to put the inquiry into words. ‘‘T believe we’re not in danger as long as we can help these men,” he asserted. ‘‘ And I intend to see that they don’t convalesce too quickly. As long as my Chinese pellets hold out, I can keep some of them bliss- fully unconscious. That "Il give me a chance to tell the Dvaks that you and I didn’t know about the game. What’s more, we'll have friends on our side when the women come back.” But presently there was no denying that their situation looked less favorable. Leav- ing behind them only four men to light the platform with double that number of torches, the Dyaks filed away. A few re- turned to walk among those black, temple- like pillars. The others went aside to a nearby house. Then a gong began to beat, its tones deep, clear, and ominous. The summons seemed to fill the clearing, as if the jungle walling the kampong confined the sounds. At the first note of the gong Lansdell had turned quickly toward one of the wounded and knelt to make an examina- 839 tion. ‘‘ Don’t pay any attention to what’s going on,” he advised. Already apprehensive once more, she had been seized with sudden weakness. Now she Sat, the color gone out of her face, her hands trembling. ‘“What is happening?” she asked, her mouth so dry that she could scarcely speak. ‘““A council.” He was still on his knees beside the Dyak. The gongs ceased. The echoes of the finals beats went dying away upon the blackness which was the river, and against the forest-covered hills beyond. In the first moment of welcome silence, a man who was holding one of the torches addressed the native standing closest to him. What he said was meant for Lans- dell’s ears, and the white man heard. With- out looking toward the speaker he stood up. She saw how white and drawn he was. ‘‘What did that man say?” she asked. “I know he said something that—that—” ‘Nothing in particular,’—he made the answer as casual as possible. ‘“ Philip,” she went on solemnly, “ I’d rather know the truth.” He tried to smile. ‘ Very well, then, perhaps the truth would be best. This is what the man said: ‘ The giver of medicine has lived through many changes of season with our friends below, pretending to study the river people, pretending to be generous and kind, getting the gossip of that place, also of this, and onlv waiting for the dav when his friends could come at his summon- ing to do murder and to thieve!’ ” ‘They're going to kill us,” she said huskily. “Tm going to try to change their minds,” he answered. CHAPTER X. WHAT LIES AHEAD? HE DBvaks gathered upon a platform across the kampong. lLansdell kept his back toward them, as if indiffer- ent to what was going on. But he could not ignore the pallid, shivering girl. He went to her, took both of her hands, and lifted ber to her feet. GIOok