Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

fo a > ee A THE CRAWLING DEATH. he had been struck by a mamba? The pain is very great.” “ Have done,” the white man cried irrita- bly. “You did not come here to tell me of the way of mambas.” “There your wisdom fails you,” Tomasi answered smoothly. ‘ It is well that a man should know how death will come to him.” “What do you mean?” Beads of sweat stood on Smithers’s forehead. “You have lied to me—a servant of the Spirits, you have deceived, putting my daughter to shame and making a mock of our marriage customs. Therefore death must be your portion.” A sickly grin spread over Smithers’s face; his fingers itched to press the trigger of his revolver; yet, somehow, he dared not do it. Instead he said placatingly: ‘IT only jested, Tomasi, when I gave you the gold that was not gold.” “An evil jest!” “ Of a truth, yes; but assuredly not suffi- cient cause for a killing. Be at peace. To- morrow I will more than make good to you -—in real gold, Two pieces for every one of the false pieces I gave you a moon ago. To-morrow I will pay all debts.” “ To-morrow,” sneered Tomasi. ‘‘ To- morrow you will be a snake without a hole. To-morrow comes the white man, Hampton, to turn you out of this place and you will be poorer than my people’s slave; aye, you will go to them begging food and shelter. You will be a thing accursed; shunned by the white; despised by us black ones. What folly, then, to talk of gold.” “How do you know this?” Smithers asked in amazement. “ All things are known to me. Now, what need to say more?” He raised the cover of the basket. “ Put it back,” screamed the white man, sc or—” “Or you'll kill me? I don’t think you can do that, Nyorka. But even so, what matter? Iam old and death would not be unpleasant. But you cannot kill these ser- vants of mine. Your doom is sure.” “ Wait yet a little while. Why not take the maiden back to you? So shall all be as it was in the beginning.” “Bah! What folly! Would you have 631 her appear in the eyes of her people as a woman scorned? Shall the daughter of Tomasi forever dwell in her hut alone, and shall I be deprived of the cattle that would be mine were she married to a proper man? You know the law.” “Aye—I_ know,” wearily. ‘“ And know, too, that should she become a widow she may properly marry again?” “ Aye.” The assent came mechanically, listlessly. “Then am I not just when I say that death must come to you, unless—” ‘“ Unless, Tomasi?” ‘Unless you can pay me the Jobdella, the marriage gift.” “T can do that, Tomasi—to-morrow, as I have said. Listen.” Smithers drank deep- ly from his bottle and continued hurriedly: ‘To-morrow, when the white man Hamp- ton comes to the river’s ford, I shall be hid- den in the bushes about the banks. When he is but halfway across my fire stick will speak, and Hampton will fall from his horse into the water. The crocodiles below the ford will take care that no one shall know the manner of his death. Then the store, and all that is in it, will be mine. I shall be avenged on the man who would put me to this shame, and you—you shall be paid in full.. Threefold you shall be paid.” Tomasi smiled sardonically as Smithers paused for lack of breath. “ And think you,” he scoffed,, “ that no one will be with the man, Hampton? That none of the people of the kraal will be at the ford to greet him. Hast forgotten that the people of the kraal count him a man among men—as indeed he is—and they would know no rest until they had found the man who killed him.” The look of elation faded from Smithers’s face. His head drooped and his fingers fumbled at his loose under-lip. He had in- deed overlooked all these things! “Yet the plan has merit,” Tomasi con- tinued musingly. ‘‘ Hampton has never seen eye to eye with me. All witchcraft, he thinks, is an abomination; he charges the faults of a few to us all. He has worked me much evil; giving information against me to the Government man. Aye; and he Smithers assented GEomichboo cS ~ ~ (E(0)