Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-29

a logged but losing rhythm. His water
logged little prau, the black tip OF an
arrow head sketched In faint waves that
spread and vanished. drew slowly nearer
and nearer. Each time that he twisted
on his thwart for backward glimpse the
dismay craven In his face appeared more
| legible. David saw the bright drops gilt
ter as he whirled his paddle overhead
and began digging the blade furiously
over the other gunwale.
Whats he going? He can't mean to
turn round?"
Ali. bow paddler. answered the unspoken
"Pulo, Tuan?" Granting, the native
about with q scared look. 1.-THE island,
Tuan?"
"By all means"' David laughed i'm
patiently. He saw now the meaning of
Rosario's latest trick. by all means;
to the island!''
The dugout trailed heavily. like q
wounded saurian, straight across their
nose. and pointed her own toward the
rolling mass OF vapors. Out OF this,
cleaving its way into full sunlight. came
as though by it's own motion the green
wooded bulk Of an islet.
Faster, man. faster!" cried David, for
the bow oarsman. after swerving their
triple beak in this new direction. slack
ened his efforts and turned. as before,
with frightened. questioning eyes. Go
on. man! What ails you? To the island!
"oh, SIR" mourned the fellow. "oh.
sir, do you dare?"
docs my lord the crocodile devour
shrimps?'' he sneered. Go on. Ali. We
are safe enough. This gentleman from
Europe will take the blame"
The small catamaran once more forged
ahead. The mist. now rolling clear Of the
island. left 1t stripped Of motion, bare to
confront the morning-a lofty clump OF
green waringin foliage. wet and glisten-
ing. save where one gigantic top shone
leather-brown. stiffness like enchant-
ment brooded upon trees and water.
Why any man in broad daylight could
dread a landfall on SO innocent a bit of
grove, floating SO peacefully In lake
pale and tranquil as the sky. David could
not guess: the fact had neither probable
ity nor motive. and seemed. like that
queer embargo at the jetty, some freak Of
child's play: and yet, while he measured
the distance between craft and to the
shore, he felt q transient wonder which
was half disquietude. A forbidden lake:
a pair of boatmen. one frightened and
one grim: a "Nail of the Universe" who
must not be reused to anger-these fig
ments took on q sudden reality here In
the splendor Of the tropic morning. be-
foro this dense peak OF isolated forest
charmed into fairy stiffness.
It was no time, however. for gubtleties
or riddles. David could hear Rosario
painting at each stroke. the bilge water
BWdSilluB lore otNu dAt W IAo eoIuo
rhythm.
"Stop!" called Ali. in a sort Of choking
dismay. ''Stop there!'
At his cry, as II obeyine. the dugout
grounded. Half tumbling. half leaping,
Rosario was overheard, ankle deep. ran
splashing among reeds to the shore, took
the low bank at q bound and hurled him
self through the bushes out Of sight
Davids pontoon rushed softly into the
sludge. Before he could rise from his
mat the two natives had flung down their
paddles. sprung ashore and snatched Off
their varicolored turbans Then each
man. with his arms behind his back.
wound the gay cotton tightly round both
fists and struck & posture Of submission.
'Ampun Tuan-ku.' they walled in uni
son. standing self-bound like pair OF
captives: "beribu-ribu ampun! Pardon.
my lord. a thousand-thousand pardons!"
Their entreaty rose, melodious and
from the waters edge. No
voice replied. Again they called. as
though imploring the empty air. or some
invisible genius OF the shore. a family
Of lizards. summing themselves on the dewy |
bank. scuttled on among dead leaves