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{; Beatrice Grimshaw &
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?J Illustrations by Irwin Myers ?<
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?J Copyright by Hughes V
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CHAPTER X
?17?
It was nearing ten o'clock, which is
late in the morning for people who
rise at five, and Ogo. my head carrier,
and I were at the end of a long job.
We had left the other carriers busy
wooding and watering above, had gone
down onto the flat, bringing with us
pick, shovel, pegs, prospecting dish,
and long steel measuring tnpe. worked
about a bit among the "riffles" made
by half sunken rocks, nnd taken sand
nnd gravel from promising spots. I
had washed out a few dishes, and
found them go something like three
ounces of fine gold to a dish, with
nuggets to spare, over and above ; on
an average, about fifteen pounds worth
to every dish we washed. It was a
?erltabie Jewelers' shop; you could
kirk the sand up with your toes and
see It glitter.
I had a right, as discoverer (for
firace and his partner had never actu
ally found gold) to peg out for my
self one area of a hundred feet by
fifty, and a prospecting claim due to
mo as discoverer of a field forty miles
from any other ? of thirty further
claims. This left little for any one
rise who might come along.
"My troubles!" I said. "Lot them
wait. TIh'.v meant to let me." Some
of the ground. Judged by what we
washed, was a little richer than the
rest. I picked that, measured, pegged,
nailed up my notice, and was done
The warden of the field, when ap
pointed, would have to check and con
firm the work ; but for all practical
purposes, I had my ground secure.
The sun was high now, and down
in the airless bottom of the pit, it had
grown hot ; so hot that the sweat ran
in streams down my arms, and dripped
salty from my forehead Into my mouth.
"Smoke-oh," I said to Ogo, contem
plating with pleasure the nent white
pegs that marked olT my fortune. "We
am get pigs in plenty, for food," I
told him, pulling at a welcome cig
arette. "We'll shoot all you like.
Going to stop here a week." For I
*as minded to load a carrier or two
with gold; they were traveling light
now, having eaten up a great part of
their loads.
Ogo drew at his bamboo pipe; he
was happy, at ease, resting from
tedious and unnecessary work. I
watched him, as 1 sat perched on a
rock, my face towards the long hard 1
way by which we had climbed down,
the day before. Ogo was looking up
the east side of the basin, toward the
ranges.
A change came over his face. It
came very quickly ; It seemed, in an
Instant, to set his features stiff, like
water frozen hv an Icy wind.
"What do you see, Ogo?" 1 asked
him, not turning my head.
"Taubada." he answered, sitting up
on the sand. "Me see two white men.
flenty New Guinea man he come."
I looked behind me now. Up the
long slopes that ran to eastward. I
could see nothing at first. Then I
could see ? some way down the sides
of the basin, dark dots moving, white
dots following them. They were go
ing fast, making the best of their way
toward the bottom, like sugar ants
raiding a bowl, and very anxious to
get to the sugar as quickly as pos
sible. It was, beyond all doubt. Splcer.
Caxon, and their carriers.
For when I thought of Spicer and
his patron ; of all thnt the brute must
hare known, and of the silence ? paid
silence doubtless ? that he had kept;
of how he had balked me once, and
had Just fallen short of ruining me
now ? well. It was not astonishing that
my fingers, half consciously, crept
toward my left hip and the stock of
the revolver without which no wise
man travel* through unknown Papua.
i have said that raj mind, like my
body, had come to maturity on the red
fields of the War. There are thou
sands, near my age. who will under
stand Just what that means. The War
I* dead, forgotten, as are Its millions
of dead and forgotten fighters; but the
personalities shaped by It remain. It
fas never been possible for me to re
Sard killing, inevitably, as murder.
When Splcer and Caxon came fairly
into sight, a little later; when they
were well within rifle shot, nothing
restrained me from picking off the tall,
f*!r man with tho awkward tread, and
ridding earth of a brute aa little fit to
live as Fanshaw himself had heen.
save the knowledge thai I should cer
tainly hang for It. and that if I hanged.
! could not marry Pta Lsiurier.
They did not hurry as I had done ;
they did not leap onto the gravelly
Hat that held tnure treasure than all
the older goldtields of New Guinea
put together We met at leisure in
the midst of the glai-is of rocks that
fringed the bottom of the Pit. ('axon,
a silent fellow always, nodded side
wise to me. and sat down on a rock,
hands in pockets, surveying the flat
with a sharp professional eye. which
assuredly did not miss my pegs or
my notice. Spicer came up grinning,
held out his hand, and quoted fatuous
ly. "Doctor Livingstone. 1 presume?"
I think that in the moment, an ill
defined presentiment of misfortune
seized me. I suppose I must have
felt, vaguely that this defeated Spicer
had no reasonable right to look cheer
ful ; certainly none CO crack Jokes.
But if I did feel anything of the sort,
it was submerged by my personal dis
like of Spicer himself. I wanted to
abuse 4iim. strike him What I did
say was only ? "Haven't left many of
the plums for you, I'm afraid."
"Are there plums?" he said foolish
ly, as if he had come up into the heart
of wild New Guinea for a walk. His
eyes were roving while he spoke; I
saw them rest on my pegs, and for a
moment they opened wide, and showed
as many ugly things as the windows
of a convict jail. It was Caxon who
spoke, however.
"What does it go to the dish?" he
asked. He was sitting as he always
did sit, characteristically, with legs
flung wide apart, and arms akimbo,
soft hat pulled right into his eyes, and
Insolent lip stuck out. < >f the few old
time miners remaining in New Guinea.
I had always liked Caxon the least.
Nevertheless, I answered him. There
was no use denying patent facts.
"About four ounces to the dish,"
1 said.
Spicer let out a whinnying cackle
of delight, but Caxon made no sign.
"I suppose." he said presently, "we
had better have dinner." It was three
o'clock: they had- as I afterward
heard ? camped part way down the
crater on the previous night, and trav
eled. since dawn. It was by a very
short head that I had won.
I hadn't dined either, so we Joined
our messes ? it would have been con
trary to New Guinea hush custom to
do anything else. Ami while we ate
and drank, and watched each other
Slyly from under our eyelids, there
was just one thought In the minds of
every one? "Gold!" Hut not very far
from it, I think, was the thought of
the other thing that maddens, too,
when seen; that cries out. too. when
flung upon the ground ? blood. . . .
"lletter he careful of 'accidents' in
the hush," 1 thought, even as I pressed
the two to share my food. "It's a big
strain on any man's self-restraint.
Nothing open, of course ? I'd respect
that? l>ut so many little sneaky ways
of killing are possible. . . .*?
"What kept you back on the road?"
I asked the two. I wanted to know;
besides, this silence was irritating me.
They looked so well pleased with
themselves; had so little right to be
pleased.
"Foolery," answered Cnxon. his
mouth choked by biscuit. "Spicer here
won't realize that I'm leader, and ? "
"Quite incorrect." bleated Spicer, In
what I fancy he took to be an "Ox
ford accent." "At the death of Sir
Richard, the leadership devolved on
me. I decided that the interests of
the Empiah would best be served by
opening up what we had been led to
understand was a probable goldfleld
of the very ? "
"You were out for cash to go on
the spree, same as myself," commented
Caxon. "And If you'd fired Just about
two more shots into that crowd of
natives we met, neither of us would
ever have seen this place. You
started the whole crowd on us. and
then I had to shoot, and we wiped
them out considerably. Of course we
had to go round after that."
"The result of your alleged leader
ship," patronized Spicer, "being, in
sum, that we have arrived after all
the valuable ground is pegged."
"Yes," said Caxon simply, and buried
his face In his pi.it-size pannikin.
I knew the Papuan miner too well
to question hiin. But there was some
thing about the whole deal that I did
not understand.
"It doesn't matter," I thought "If
they fancy th&y can out me somehow
or other in the bush, they've got 'an
other think coming.' I've got the place
In spite of them all, and I'll keep It."
We had finished our meal now. and
the two newcomers, without further
parley, went down to the flat and be
gan walking about. It was fairly late
in the afternoon by now ; neverthe
less, the pair started ofT on what was
evidently a brief prospecting trip. I
heard the clink of Caxon's pick now
and then, and the sharp tap of a ham
mer. 1 did not trouble much about
them; I was too busy making use of
the opportunity to wash out a few
more dlshea of gravel. There could
be no question, now, of loading car
riers with gold for the homeward trip,
but I wanted, at ieaet, a good sample
I do not think I shall ever forget
that hour ? ecstasy of washing out dish
after dish, lifted almost anywhere on i
the flat, and finding, sure as day. at
the bottom of every one, a rich sedi
ment of yellow dust and flakes. Na
ture. amazingly, had done its work.
My claim might be the better for
sluicing later on; but at the moment,
one could collect enough to make any
man crazy drunk with gold-lust, out
of the simple washing of a dozen
dishes.
I washed them; collected the gold
(it was about thirty-five ounces) and
put it away In one of my swags, for
Caxon and Spicer were now returning
from what I took to he a fruitless
quest, and I did not want them to
see m.v marvelous gains.
They came straight up to me. evi
dently according to a preconceived
plan. They looked tired and flirty, dis
couraged. too. Spicer's mouth dragged
open, and there was a nasty look
about his pretty blue eyes that ! had
seen more than once before.
"Well. Baa-Baa." he began unpro
pitiously. "it seems that the only thing
we can do ? "
"Say that again." I Interrupted,
"and say It right."
"Mister Amory." he corrected, with
scornful emphasis. "The only thing
we can do is to peg out what's left,
and go back."
"You understand the mining laws of I
the country, ! suppose." was my an
swer.
"I do. if he doesn't," put in Caxon
"We're not going to visit the mines
department this trip. The best thing
you can do Is to coine back with us
You've got the loan of us over the
whole business, and we'll all be safer j
together. That fancy shooting of
Spicer's has made the bush a bit live
ly, I reckon."
1 reflected. Caxon was undoubted
ly In the right. Joining forces and
carriers would be best for every one.
We could travel faster together, be
cause there would be plenty of hands
to cut a road when wanted ; more
safely, because the natives would be
slow to attack a big body of people.
There was nothing that I need stay
for. now that I had pegged my claim;
I had only to go down to Port Mores
by and get It granted.
Yet. and yet, when the next day
came; when the tents had been struck,
and the carriers' loads portioned out,
and the long. hard, upward tramp was
beginning, I could not do away with a
sense of ill defined anxiety. On the
surface everything was right. I had
won the race, taken the treasure.
Caxon with his callous greed, disre
garding everything in life but gain;
Spicer. greedy, too. were both de
feated. That was well. What, then,
troubled me?
As far as I could define the matter,
it was this, they did not really mind.
Inexplicable, that. Unsatisfactory,
that. The thought (it was not a fear,
nothing so definite) stayed with me
through the greater part of the trip
down to the Itomilly river. Nothing
occurred to deepen it ; nothing, on the
other hand, happened to make it less.
I could not help observing that my
two white companions were almost
nervously anxious lest I should leave
their sight. There is a streak of van
ity in every man; my streak led me
to conclude that the two of them
valued my company? in view of the
dangerous country we were traversing
?more than I had supposed. Yet the
puzzlement, the anxiety, were still
alive, somewhere submerged in my
mind. I did not. altogether under
stand. ...
Caxon, who was endlessly troubled
by Spicer's futile attempts to be re
garded as "leader," had given orders
that no one. white or black, should
leave the main party without bis
knowledge. It cost me nothing to
obey him; I knew that. In the Pupuan
bush, divided authority spells dis
aster, and, whatever opinion I might
have held of Caxon in bis private
capacity, I knew him to be the best
of bushmen.
On one afternoon, we had been
climbing for some hours, having taken
a route slightly different from that
of the outward trip, and Intending to
cut across a ridge. This way brought
us Into a bit of new country ; and so
it was that, emerging suddenly on the
top of the ridge, we came without any
warning right upon one of the villages
of the Tatatata tribe.
The people had heard us long be
fore; their women, pigs, babies, and
collections of skulls, were no doubt
already carried off into the bush. 1
We found the men awaiting us, plucky
chaps that they were ? thirty or forty
naked creatures decked In feathers
and shells and dogs' teeth, armed
with the formidable bow of the rangers
that can shoot you through at a hun
dred yards, and the stone club that
smashes a skull as e.isily as a spoon
smashes an egg- Not much to stand
agai ist out rifles ? but they didn't
kno'%* rifles : there was the trouble ;
and Caxon and myself were equally
disinclined to stake a massacre, by
way of teaching theiu.
(TO SB CONTINUED)
Alt victories are alike; defeat alone
displays an individual profile. ? Hutu*
ker.
Improved Uniform International
SundaySchool
T Lesson '
(By REV. P. p FITZ WATER. D.D . Mt m
bcr of Faculty. Moody Bible Institute
of Chlrajro. )
<?. 1930. Western N*wapap?r t'nton.)
Lesson for May 11
JESUS ACCLAIMED AS KING
LESSON TEXT ? Matthew 211 -46.
GOLDEN TEXT? Hosanna to the
son of David : Blessed Is he that Com
eth in the name of th* Lord; Hosanna
in the hlKhest.
PRIMARY TOPIC? The Children's
Praise Song.
JUNIOR TOPIC ? Hailing Jesus as
King
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
j IC ? Making Christ Our King.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
' IC ? Making Christ Our King.
I. The Preparation (vv. 1-6).
1. The sending of the disciples for j
; the ass (vv. 1-3).
i Christ told them Just where to go |
j to find it and how to answer the in
i quiry of the one who owned It. This
| shows how perfectly Jesus knows our
ways. The providing of the animal j
was not man's plan, but according to !
| Christ's foreknowledge.
2. The fulfillment of prophecy
(vv. 4. 5).
Some five hundred years before
; this, Zechariah had made this predlc
| tion (Zech. 51:9). Christ's coming in
i this way was in exact fulfillment of
; Zechariah's prediction. This is highly
instructive to those who would under
stand ns yet unfulfilled prophecy. If
the predictions of His first coming
i were thus literally fulfilled, there is
j no alternative but to believe that j
! those of Ilis second coming will like
wise he literally fulfilled.
! 3. The obedience of the disciples
(v. 6).
The request may have seemed ,
strange and unreasonable, but they
j obeyed.
II. The Entrance of the King (vv.
7-11).
i 1. The disciples put their garments
upon the ass and set the Lord there
on (v. 7).
This act showed that they recog
! nlzed II Ira as their King (II Kings
0:13)
2. The inuliitude (vv. 8, 9).
Some spread their garments In the
way; others who had no garments to
spare, cut down branches and did the ;
' same with them.
3. The city awakened (vv. 10, 11). j
It was a stirring time, but a more ,
stirring time Is to come. This will
be when the Lord comes in power and j
i glory.
Ml. The King Rejected (vv. 12-16).
The immediate occasion of this re
jection was the cleansing of t lie tem
ple. To sell oxen au<l sheep and
doves was legitimate, as well as to ex
change money in doing it, but doing it
for gain was wrong. As soon as the
spirit of avarice enters, the house of
pr:\ver becomes a dell of thieves.
IV. The Nation Rejected by the i
King (vv. 17-46).
Having shown their unwillingness
; to receive Christ as King when olll- !
| daily presented to them, Christ now '
turns from them and makes known j
1 their awful condition in the following j
j parables:
1. The barren fig tree cursed (vv.
! 17-22).
It was on the morrow after his ofii- j
; cial presentation as He was returning |
from Jerusalem that Jesus observed j
the unfruitful fig tree. The barren
fig tree is a type of Israel. With its j
leaves, it gave a show of life, but be
ing destitute of fruit. It had no right '
to cumber the ground.
2. The parable of the two sons j
(vv. 28-32).
Both sons were told by the father to
work in the vineyard. The one re
fused outright to obey, but after
wards repented and went. The other
pretended a willingness to obey, but in
reality did not The first one repre- i
sents the publicans and harlots. The '
second the proud and self-righteous
Pharisees ? priests and elders.
3. The parable of the householder
(vv. 30-46).
(1) This was God Himself. (2)
j The vineyard. This means Israel |
j (Isa. 5:1-7, Jer. 2:21, Ps. 80:0). j
The Lord went to particular pains to ;
gather out this nation and make It !
separate, bestowing pecutlar favors
upon it. This vineyard so well kept i
and provided for, did not hear fruit. !
(3) The husbandmen. These were the
spiritual guides ? the rulers and teach- j
ers of Israel. (4) The servants were
sent for the fruit of the vineyard.
These were the various prophets
whom God sent to the nation. They
were beaten and killed. (5) The Lord
Jesus Christ, God's only and beloved
Son, came into their midst. They
knew Him to be the Son, but did
not show Ilirc reverence. They not
only rejected the kingdom, but th*
King who was the Son.
Rheumatism?
Quick relief from rheumatic
pains without harm:
To relievo the worst rheumatic pain is
a very easy matter. Bayer Aspirin will
do it every time! It's something you
can always take. Genuine Aspirin tablets
are harmless. Look for the Bayer Cross
on each tablet.
BAYER
AS PI KI IV
Opens Easily
When opening a can where a ke.\
Is necessary. place a small screw
driver through the end of the key
and then turn. It will turn easily and
quickly without hurting the fingers.
HEALTHY
COMPLEXIONS
come from healthy systems.
Free the body of poisons with
Feen-a-mint. Effective in
smaller doses. All druggists seil
this safe, scientific laiatire.
Feenamint
IlilrOR CONSTIPATION
Goldsmith Memorials
Oliver Goldsmith's bl -centenary re
! cent I y attracted many pilgrims to the
i modest stone on the north side of
Temple church, wliieh marks, a* near
ly as can he conjectured, the last
! resting place of the creator of Doc
tor Primrose and Tony Lumpkin.
There is, however, another London
memorial of "rich-hearted Goldsmith."
which is not nearly so well known
as It deserves to he ? a very hand
I some window in Southwark cathedra!.
The wimlow, erected only a few
! years ago, fitly commemorates the
poet's association with the south side
horough, where, f<?r a time, he prac
ticed as "poor physician of the poor."
Region of Blizzards
The most destructive blizzards oo
rur In the plains region from North
Dakota to Kansas and eastward to
Ohio.
Inventor of Decimal?
The decimal point and its use are
said to have heen Invented In 1012 by
I>atliolomaeus.
i Retain bur Mood ?ooks
How frequently a woman thinks, "Am
I still attractive?" How
much thought and
-ML study she devotes
v" )f to her 1 o o k j 1
that's natural. A
^mf hLn# woman hates to
/ .\L^m think she is grow
ing day by day
less charming and
attractive. DR.
PIERCE'S
FAVORITE
PRESCRIP
TION helps to
preserve in a woman the charm and
health of youth. It contains no harm
ful ingredient. This splendid herbal
tonic is sold by all druggists in both
fluid and tablets.
Write to Dr. Pierce's Invalids Hotel,
Buffalo, N. Y., if you desire free medi
cal advice. For 10c Dr. Pierce will
?end you a trial package of tablets.
WORMS SAP A
CHILD'S VERY LIFE
Does your child grit his
teeth? Pick his nostrils? Have
a disordered stomach? These
are symptoms of worms ?
those deadly parasites which
will so quickly ruin a child's
health.
At the first sign oi worms, give
your child Frey's Vermifuge. For 7S
years Frey's Vermifuge lias been
America's ssfc, vegetable worm med
icine. Buy it today at your druggist's.
Frey's Vermifuge
Expels Worm*
I