The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-05
At the Court of PeIesu.
(Story of the Malay Peninsula In t,
no

| they left hard and ugly scars behind
them. But the man continued to wax
weaker and weaker, and Jack began to
perceive that some internal injury
against which his homely doctoring was
powerless to prevail, had been sustained
Very gradually All Ku lost strength. and
Jack watched, with keenness of anxiety
which well nigh amounted to agony, the
race which the ebbing life in his patient
was running with the time which would
bring with it the breaking of the mon
soon and the re-opening of communication
with the outside world.
1t was Jacks object to cause All Ku
| to live until the mouth of the river should
be once more open to ships. Then ne
| would remove him to the neighboring
British colony, where his appearance
| would be all that was needed TO complete
| the long and heavy indictment against the
| king Of Pelesu that was needed TO justify
! the government in moving one more step
| forward. So Jack fought with death,
eagerly and fiercely, day and night. heart
and soul, as a man strives to stay the
! ebbing of a life he loves. His cheeks be-
gan to grow pale and lined under his
| deep sunburn and his eyes to shine I'M
naturally with anxiety and want of sleep,
! but still he carried on the fight, Chik
striving to aid him early and late.
The king shut himself up in his rab-
I bitwarrens, and only once did Jack
/ chance to meet him in the street. The
| king, in melancholy accents, full of ten
I derness and compassion, asked anxiously
after Jacks patient, and expressed his
well-feigned horror of the crime which
/ had been perpetrated. Jack smiled grim
! ly with that tight-shut mouth of his, and
in equally dulcet tones, and with an elab-
crate air Of respect, dropped into the
ear Of his royal friend a few sentences
that burned like fire. He spoke in that
subtle Malay language which lends itself
so readily to the framing of soft sound
ing phrases. that mean so much more
than they express. Had Jacks words
been analysed, no man could deny that
they were courteous and commonplace
enough, but none the less both Jack and
the king knew that an accusation of muir
der had been made against the ruler of
Pelesu no less distinctly than if his
Highness had been formally charged in
the criminals dock.
After this the king went to bed and ap-
parently stayed there for, If one might
believe his messages, he was always
asleep or too sick to rise from his couch
when Jack sought an interview with him.
Speech with the king being thus rendered
impossible, Jack wrote him a letter stat
ing in unmistakable language that All
Ku and his people would be removed from
Pelesu to the colony as soon as communi-
cation by sea was re-established. No an
swer was received to this message, but
none the less Jack remained content. He
had given formal notice of his intention
and he was determined to vindicate the
right of a British subject to come and
go as he pleased. He was particularly
anxious, however, to avoid anything
which could be regarded as the spiriting
away of Che All Ku, and though he
foresaw that trouble would not be I'M
likely TO ensue, he had made up his mind
that Ah Ku's departure should be made
openly and in the light of day.
All this required nerve, for the people
who thronged the court of Pelesu began
to look askance at Jack Norris, seeing
in him now the almost openly declared
enemy of their king.
One night Jack went to the Balai as
he had been accust toned to do before Che
All hu was stabbed, but the looks of the
rajas and chiefs which greeted his arri-
val showed him that for the time he was
the reverse of ''bien va" The Bendahara
turned TO him almost as soon as he was
seated, and said, sulkily:
How fares it with that Chinaman
whom thou art tending?"
He knew All Ku's name as well as he
knew his own, but he Spoke of the man
contemptuOusly as a Chinaman because
he wished to be nasty. Norris was some
what nettled at the Bendahara's manner |
and by the unfriendly faces around him. |
and he said in his heart he would make !
these men of Pelesu sit up and snort |
He knew, too, that his life was not over |
safe at this time, and his knowledge of |
Malay character told him that bluff and |
an ostentatious disregard of the dangers |
with which his path was beset was the |
best attitude for him to assume if he de- |
sired to prOlOng his insecure lease of life |
Therefore. he answered in words such |
as no native would have dared to use |
and in manner which he knew would |
send tremor through his audience.
Try to think for myself" he said,
how should a man fare who has been
stabbed with knives p
He heard the men around him gulp and
lraw in their breath at the word. for the
official contention at this time was that
Che All Ku's injuries had not been
wrought by man.
who says that An Ku was stabbed?"
cried the Bendahara-
Il say it, returned Norris 'snd ali
nan say the like who speak that which
t is in their bellies to speak All Ku
vas stabbed with knives at the door of
he kings house where the men Of the
Kings body-guard are wont to sit"
How dost thou know cried the Ben
lahara excitedly. There was a lath OF
bamboo projecting from the thatch and
men say All Ku stumbled and fell against
IT.
''Ah Ku does not measure seven cubits
ugh" answered Norris with a grin;
think once more that thou mayest find
ONE better explanation" Then he laugh
d aloud, while his audience shufied I'M
asily, and the chief scowled at this
tranger who seemed not to know what
he fear Of death might mean.
Then I say that 1t was q devil who /
id this thngl" cried the Bendahara al
lost with a scream.
Thy words are very true" answered !
Iorris. and then raising his voice-"And /
mark ye the devil that did this thing
sent on two legs, and was armed with /
idged kris. Perchance he borrowed the
seapon from one OF the kings body
uard who are wont 10 sit at night on the
pot where the deed was doneI What T
rofitS IL 10 seek for explanations when Z
II men know the truth? And remember,
aough this thing was done in the dark.
has come into the light OF day. and
here may be many IN this land Of Pc :
ssu who Will live 10 pay the price OF that
lights work. For will IL avail them
ught II they strive to make Satan bear
he burden Of their evil deeds I ask thy
ave TO depart" And Jack dropped over
ne edge Of the verandah. and left a fus-
erei, awe-stricken court behind him.