Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-05
CHAPTER XIV.-Continued.
Il do not laugh" said David.

Il do not laugh" said David.
Rama nodded.
mo. And YOU showed respect out
ner grew more composed. still. you
think was afraid of something quite
Never mind. These matters are hard to
explain
The two naked truants. swinging side
| by side kicked up a thunder of foam,
then watched it subside into bubbles
Much too hard David assented
thoughtfully. You know, Rama, | don t
! mind telling Well sometimes the less
said about courage the better
| All his companion murmured, with
a quiet air of satisfaction. so You VIII
own up. too. ] was waiting Now. this
ape foot hantu thing? What is your idea
of that"
David. busily collecting the strands of
his narrative watched the last bubble
| float and dissolve.
1T begins with a silver locket." he an
swered, slowly. NO. first l fell over
board" Thus fairly started, he re-
counted his whole adventure. The forest
orchestra played its low, tnkling accom-
paniment. to a story told on the stage.
| Now you know as well-as we'll as |, al
most"
| Almost; David was hugging to himself
the secret of that reservation, when
/ Rama gave short, musical laugh and
another of his chances. sidelong. up and
away, quicker than the visit of a hum
ming bird.
| You saw her only once" he chuckled
"And even before YOU had seen her
ohor'
"Well?" Dayid's tone was passably
cool. 'Where's tine joke
| The sultan's features became a study in
courteous gravity.
| Your body is whittier than cotton" he
observed, in sly approval. why is your
face the color of that hibiscus on the
WALTZ"
| David swung elowering, unable to re-
tort.
| mo. I can't understand" the sultan
reflected smiling mischief. Here YOU
have undergone many troubles and long
| journeys-as faithful as Hang Tuah to
! his rajah. And this ape-foot thing comes
after, always, in the dark. You had only
seen the woman's picture; neve. heard her
voice, which might have been sharper
than kites whistle. And Yet you have
said to yourself, secretly. All this [ Will
do and more, for the woman is mine.
| Not at all.'' cried David with start
both of anger and guilt. Her man is
dead. l told you, Rama"
| His tormentor laughed quietly. without
mirth.
Yes. that man is dead. You're alive"
Rama stared wistfully into the pool 1t
! is thus always, brother. y man dies. His
| horse will whinny for days, and paw in
| the stall through night after night, and
| refuse grain, listening for his step. His
| step that no longer bends the grass But
| with women. Next day his woman will
sit laughing, and eating sweetmeats. and
buying new silks of some boX-wallah from
the land of King. A good friend of mine
died and his All! have seen that also,
and it has made me sad.
ITS not 50, Rama, with this girl
| mo-" The royal misogynist waved his
| legs, respondent as before. How can
YOU tell?"
"One has only TO see her
| 1T may be-" agreed the sultan, gloom
| lily. There must be another kind, or
else the Old tales and poems lie. ] have
never seen such a woman Suddenly he
glanced up. But this one, Bowman:
suppose she could forget her dead man
and remember only you? How them"
| "If | thought she was that kind said
| David hastily. II shouldn't be here
| Metallophones and bamboo bells played
their interlude again. while the young
sultan, his curved hrows drawn together,
considered this puzZlng answer.
| My thought flies one way, yours an
other" He stretched out his bare arm
parallel with David's. Look. It's the
different color of our skins. l can't I'M
derstand you Dropping his arm he
dropped the problem also. Never mind.
You shall have your dead mans packet,
Bowman. I'll give it to you when We
dress. Come. Another dive
He hoisted both feet out of water. set
them precariously on the banyan cable,
stood upright wavering with arms out
spread like a dancer on slack wire, ran
IL few steps, then clinging wildly with
both fingers and toes, fell underneath the
rope in swing that shot David off upon
the water as fiat and spraWling as a star
| fish.
Come on" laughed the sultan. ~
dive from the trees
| He Skinned up the sWaying cable, with
| David " close pursuit, hand over hand.
Ten feet above the pool a great bough
forked and spread horizontal between
layers of sunny LEAKAGE. Scesawing OIL
this, the two men could look down
| through chinkS upon the whole Enclosure
of the bath-the red-tilcd roof of the
|Chnaman's quarters: the cross pattern
of open corridors, like hedge tops in i
maze; the sharp edge Of volcano spur
slicing up through the forest on the one
| hand, SlicinS down OH the other; and o3er
the opposite wall of the swimming pool a
bamboo platform built among trees out
side, where squatted AN orchestra of lit
tie boys-their music now stopped and all
of them, with friendly mods and srins.
| hailng the pair of naked gentlemen
| perched on the bough.
/ Here goes" cried the sultan, sayly.
! Joining his palms in the devotional at
titude Of diving, he was about to bend
forward. The movement switched frond
of leaves across his face. Rama brushed
them away. but almost in the same CON
| tortion SnatChed at -''or again, tottercd.
caught hold and SaV,. .mSelf from fall
| ing.
| See, Bowman. Look" He ierscd his
chin rapidly. like a snake striking, toward
the roofess corridors of the dressing com
partmentS. "A man-ru:lning-On the
wall, Look. lie climbed over from out
side
| The long. plant boush spranE with his
arrested motion and swayed under them
punging foliage. crossed and recrossed
| in gale David caught only glimpse or
! two In flying patches of vision: but he
| seemed to see or guess the passage of
somebody, something, that bounded along
| the edge of the corridors and dropped
| from sight among them.
Rama Clothes, our clothes, Is the