The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-08
At the Court of PeIesu,
(Story of the Malay Peninsula. In eleven
parts.)

(story of the Malay Peninsula. In eleven
parts.)
PART x
1T were better not to sheer, o king!'
returned Norris, who did not altogether
like the tone his adversary was assum-
/ ing. Il and those who follow me are few
and weak, a little thing to swallow, like
/ the bait that killed the shark. We are, as
| it were, the shadow, but the substance.
| which hath cast US before it, hath sub
| dued many lands. Thou art powerful to-
night, thy men are many. mine are few,
| but our talk is not Of these things. l have
said that All Ku shall be removed from
out Pelesu if he lives till morning. and
also live, and this thing 1 will surely do
But, Tuan, wilt thou not heaIken TO rea-
son? 1 pray thee do not this thing. If
thou dost so desire, take the woman Chik
into thy own keeping. 1 will not harm
her. Let her live within thy house, but
L cannot suffer her to leave Pelesu."
There IS a saying of the men Of ancient
days: Set not snare and then thrust
thy head into it My house is a house
for men, and no woman could dwell there
without a scandal arising. Moreover,
Chik viii also go to the colony with
All Ku."
is that thy last word?" asked the king.
=
this stone wall of resolution, which all
known means of persuasion seemed pow
erless to break through
1T is my last word, and I am hungry
wherefore I would ask leave to depart"
But understand that 1 cannot suffer
this thing." cried the king, as a parting
shot, but Norris arose and made his way
through the crowd without replying.
As he passed back to his own house
he called in at Che All Kus dwelling and
found his patient very feeble and weak,
but as anxious as ever to depart from
Pelesu upon the following morning. Nor
ris gave orders as TO the food which was
TO be given TO All ku at stated intervals
all through the night, and Chik promised
TO keep watch herself by his bed till
dawn.
Then Norris went to his house, and at
once fell to upon a large meal of curry
and rice, to which he did the most ample
justice. He was very hungry, having
tasted many hours and though people
are apt to wonder how a man can have
any stomach for food when he goes in
danger of his life, experience seems to show
that prolonged mental strain often
whets the appetite even more keenly than
does mere bodily eXertion.
The meal over, Norris rolled a cigarette
thOughtfully, and then called all his peo-
pie about him.
Things are in this wise" he said 1.-The
king has sworn that he will not suffer An
Ku and Chik his wife to be removed, and
l have said that 1 will aid them to depart
There will be trouble at dawn when we
seek to escort these people to the boat,
and it may well be that few of those
who follow me will remain alive. There
fore think well. If there be among you
any who fear the risk, you have my leave
to depart hence tonight. But may the
curse of God Almighty blight the soul and
body, heart and brain and vitals of the
man who elects TO follow me tomorrow
and fails in the hour of need. Give me
your answer that 1 may hear"
The Tuan speaks for us both" cried
Raja Hail Hamid. He had seated him
self behind Norris. for he did not wish
to be regarded by the other Malays as one
who had any choice in the matter.
"Tuan,' said an old man, speaking for
his fellows. whose eyes glistened, and
whose teeth flashed white in the many
lights, as the excited faces thronged be-
hind the spokesman, we all have eaten
thy rice and worn garments of thy CIV
ing in the days of thy ease. Now trouble
has come, we will follow thee, not only I'M
to death. but, if God Wills unto the very
Lake of Fire. l speak for all my fellows.
Come, let US make ready our arms against
the morrow"
1T is Well" said Norris, and whistling
to the tune Of There's another jolly row
downstairs which seemed to him to be
wonderfully appropriate to the circum-
stances, he turned into the living-room.
Shortly afterward two chiefs were ush-
cred in. They were friendly to Norris, and
came from the sultan to try if persuasions
could not. even now, cause the fool-hardy,
strong willed white man to forego his pur-
pose.
What profit It to talk further" said
Norris, when he had heard all they had to
say, and had listened patiently to their
gloomy forebodings of sudden and violent
death. IF we spoke together until dawn,
l could not recall my words. nor would if
I could" So his visitors returned sorrow
fully to their king.
1T is enough" said the ruler OF Pelesu
TO his assembled chiefs. "He is a Kafir
an inffdel, and all such know not the fear
of death, for they believe in no life to
come. nor dread the fires of the terrible
place of which they are the everlasting
fuel. For me, 1 go a-hunting but l leave
this matter in your hands. and We shall
not suffer All Ku and Chik to leave Pc
esu. The king will be absent when the |
deed is done, and so he knows nought of
what occurs
The chiefs lifted up their fingers in silent
homage. With them to hear was to obey.
No man thought of protesting, or blaming
their monarch for his selfish policy, and
half an hour later the king was being pad |
He'd up the river in his boat by a few of
lis youngest and least warriors. The more /
experienced men were needed for the work |
which tomorrow's dawn would see