The evening world., 1914-05-12
T. SORCERER'S STONE

)OOOOOOOOOOOOO
II think he cannot" answered the
Marquis cautiously. But We can sec
him through these cracks. WhAt
What chance!" v
It IL long ago now. but to this day
I am vexed when I think how easily
the greasy old villain took us in
how readily We dropped into his
snare. That Mo had been perfectly
aware of our visit the day before.
that he guessed we would come again.
had returned early in order to hurry
US out. had left the trap door open
~ order that We might 20 through Il
and watch him underneath the house
had indeed planned the whole thing
from start TO nnish.-never occurred
TO either Of US at the time, though,
indeed. We might have guessed that
the chief sorcerer Of the chief town
OF sorcery riddled Kata-Kata was not
likely to b quito so simple a. he
seemed.
AZ any rate. there We stood In the
dark under the house. looking BREATH
lessly through the cracks In the floor
and watching Mo. And Mo knew II.
little a. We thought 1t.
First Of all. he took the long bam-
boo OF his breast-it had accom-
panied him TO the river to-day.
sssminsly-uncorked the top. and
looked cautiously In. We could not
sec what was inside. He put his palm
over the opening. and With the other
hand drew toward him one Of the
largo clay water pots standing on
tho floor. These water pots narrowed
to mouth about four inches across:
some Of them had baked-clay lids on
tho top. He chose ono that had .
lhd. uncovered II. and dropped some-
thing In.
Where had he produced 1t from?
Tho man was like q conjurer. had
not seen anything In his hand . mo-
ment before-but II was undoubt-
eddy tho great diamond that he
dropped into the Jar. even heard II
tinkle against the hard clay bottom
AZ it fell. Tho Marquis, In his sx-
element, pinched my arm 20 hard
that 1t was black and blue afterward.
I knew he was simply boiling with
corkod-up speech. and wondered
how tong he could hold ON.
Now the sorcerer. after a hurried
look round tho empty house Che
really was splendid actor. removed
his palm from the top OF the bam-
boo, and inverted II over the jar. We
could see by his motions that he was
pouring something from the ono to
the other: It seemed to como slowly.
and take some time. Whom ha had
done. he put the clay cover on the
Jar. shook the empty bamboo. and
throw 1t down.
After this he produced a small
trade looking glass, oiled his hair.
put feathers In 1t. painted his face,
took his bag of charms of the wall.
slung a tall bow on his shoulder. and
whistled to his dog. 1t was plain
that he was going hunting-probably
counting also. the two occupations
often mixing and overlapping a good
deal in the Papuan forests.
We waited. We waited till Mo and
his dog and his bow and his bas
had disappeared down the village
street. pale and unsubstantial In the
glazing overhead sun. We waitec
another ten minutes after. Silence
the village slept beneath the fer,
enchantment OF noon; the birds wer,
voiceless In the forest; tho CLAN
leaves hung still.
Now" l said. and we crept bacl
through the trap door.
For moment we stood silent in tn,
lonely house. the scene Of Satan alon
knew what deviltries. The hideou
dancing masks grinned at us from
the walls; the SKULLS showed thei
teeth. The sorcerer's bamboo lay OF
the moor. empty, open. defying us Z
solve its mystery. And at our yer
feet stood the water jar, its wild
splayed mouth covered only by tn
lid OF baked clay.
Was the prize really In our gras
at last? l hesitated, stretched out
hand and took 1t back-stopped. lis
tened.
There certainly was a sound some
where. II was a familiar sound, an
yet l could not say exactly what
was. 1t was near and il was nc
: near. 1t was What In the nam
Of the devil was It?
"See, Flint, l tire OF this" shoute
the Marquis suddenly and impru
IDENTIFY. Il Judge that he had hear
, IL too. and 1t and other things ha
; got on his nerves." as women say
Faint heart gathers no moss-her
goes for France. my brave." II
made a dart at the jar and snatche
Q or the lid.
Do you know what Is the swiftes
thing in the animal kingdom? Di
you ever see brown fash Of ligh,
: ming get up from the ground an
Q strike?
: know, and l had seen just sue
thing before. So l didn't have
stop and think. The Marqu
J. got my punch fair in the chest;
f.. doubled him up and sent him ha
across the house. My right han
being thus occupied l hadn't tin
= to attend to my left and 1t got
tni