The Washington herald., 1914-05-03

bide."
Hooker hesitated, and then his eye
went carefully over the brown soil about
them.
\ 1T scares me, somehow" he said.
i THE thing is" said Evans, what to
do with these ingots. Shall we rebury
them over here or take them across the
strait in the canoe?"
Hooker thought. His puzzled gaze
wandered among the tall tree trunks
and up into the remote sunlit greenery
overhead. He shivered again as his
eye rested upon the blue figure of the
Chinaman. He stared searchingly
among the gray depths between the
trees.
What's come to you, Hooker" said
Evans. Have you lost your witss"
Let's get the gold out of this place,
anyhow" said Hooker.
He took the ends OF the collar of
the coat in his hands and Evans took
the opposite corners, and they lifted the
mass.
Which way" said Evans. "To the
=! canoe:"
ITS queer" said Evans, when they
had advanced only few steps, but my
arms ache still with that padding.
d. Curse it," he repeated. But they
ache! must rest"
They let the coat down. Evans face
was white and little drops of sweat
stood out upon his forehead.
Its stuffy, somehow, in this for
est"
Then with an abrupt transition to un-
reasonable anger: What is the good of
waiting here all the day: Lend hand,
l say! You have done nothing but
moon since we saw the dead Chinaman."
+. Hooker was looking steadfastly at his
companions face. He helped raise the
coat bearing the ingots, and they went
forward perhaps a hundred yards in
silence.
/ Evans began to breathe heavily.
Can't you speak, he said.
What's the matter with you?" said
Hooker
, Evans stumbled, and then with a
sudden curse flung the coat from him.
He stood for a moment staring at
Hooker, and then with groan clutched
at his own throat.
Don't come near me-" he said, and
went and leaned against tree Then in
a steadier voice, "FI be better in min
ute"
Presently his grip upon the trunk
loosened and he slipped slowly down
the stem of the tree until he was
crumpled heap at its foot His hands
were clenched convulsively. His face
became distorted with pain. Hooker ap-
preached him.
Don't touch me, Don't touch met"
said Evans, in stiled voice. Put the
gold back on the coat
Can't do anything for you;" said
Hooker.
Put the gold back on the cor"
As Hooker handled the ingots he felt
a little prick on the ball OF his thumb.
He looked at his hand and saw slen-
der thorn, perhaps two inches in length.
Evans gave an inarticulate cry and
rolled over.
Hooker's jaw dropped. He stared at
the thorn for a moment with dilated
eyes.
Then he looked at Evans, who was
now crumpled together on the ground,
his back bending and Strengthening spas
medically.
Then he looked through the pillars of
the trees and network OF creeper stems
to where in the dim. gray shadow the
blue-clad body OF the Chinaman was
still indistinctly visible. He thought of
the little dasheS in the corner OF the
plan and in a moment he understood
. God help met! he said. For the
thorns were similar to those the Dyaks
poison and use in their blowing tubes
He understood now what Chang-hi's
assurance of the safety of his treasure
meant. He understood that grin now.
Evans he cried.
But Evans was silent and motionless
now, save for a horrible spasmodic,
twitcfing of his limbs.
A profound silence brooded over the
forest
Then Hooker began to such furiously
at the little pink spot on the ball of his
thumb-sucking for dear life.
Presently he felt strange aching
pain in his arms and shoulders and his
fingers seemed difficult to bend. Then
he knew that sucking was no good.
Abruptly he stopped, and, sitting down
BY the pile of ingots and resting his chin
upon his hand and his elbows upon his
knees, he stared at the distorted but still
stirring body of his companion.
Chang-hi's grin came in his mind
again. The dull pain spread toward his
throat and grew slowly in intensity.