The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1915-04-02
CHAPTER III.
The Weak Link.


The day began white and chill, for
February nights and mornings are not
particularly comfortable on the Ir.
rawaddy. The boat sped down the
river, smoothly and noiselessly. For
all that the I'LL shone, the shore-lines
were still black. There were a hun.
dred or more natives squatting in
groups on the deck. They were
wrapped in ragged shawls, cotton rugs
of many colors, and wooden blankets,
and their turbans were as bright and
colorful as a Holland tulip-bed. Some
OF them were smoking long pipes and
using their fists as mouthpieces; 9th
ers were scrubbing their teeth with
short sticks of fibrous wood; and still
others were eating rice and curry out
of little brown copper pots. There were
very few Burmese among them.
They were Hindus from central and
southern India, with a scattering OF
Cingalese. Whenever a Hindu gets
together a few rupees, he travels. The
past is the past, tomorrow is tomor.
row, but today is today: he lives and
works and travels, prisoner to this
creed.
Elsa strolled among them. She
was dainty. She stood framed in the
doorway, a picture rare indeed to the
dark eyes that sped their frank glances
in her direction.
Upon a bench, backed against the
partition, almost within touch of her
hand, sat the man Warrington and his
servant, arguing over their accounts.
The formers battered helmet was
tilted at a comfortable angle and an
ancient Guilty hung pendent from his
teeth, an idle wisp of smoke lowering
over the blackened bowl.
Elsa quietly returned to her chair in
the bow and tried to become interested
in a novel. By and by the book slipped
from her fingers to her lap, and her
eyes closed. But not for long She
heard the rasp of a ~campstool being
drawn toward her.
Shouldn't have disturbed you.' said
the purser, apologetically, but your
orders were that whenever I had an
interesting story about the life over
here, was to tell it to you instantly.
And this one is just rippin'!!"
Begin" said Elsa. She sat up and
threw back her cloak, for it was now
growing warm. Its about Parrot &
Co, I'm sure"
It's better than any story you'll
read in a month of Sundays. Our man
has just turned the trick, as you Amer.
leans say. for twenty thousand
pounds"
why that is a fortune!"
For some of us, yes. You see,
whatever he was In the past, 1t was
something worth while, | fancy. En-.
cheering, possibly. Knew his geology
and all that. Been wondering for
months what kept him hanging around
this bally old river. Seems he found
oil, borrowed the savings Of his sery.
ant and bought up some land on the
line of the new discoveries. Then he
waited for the syndicate to buy. They
ignored him. They didn't send any
one even to investigate his claim.
Stupid, rather. After a while, he went
to them, at Prone, at Rangoon. They
thought they knew his kind. Ten
thousand rupees was all he asked.
They laughed. The next time he
wanted a hundred thousand. They
laughed again. Then he left for the
teak forests. He had to live. He
came back in four months. In the
meantime they had secretly investi.
gated. They offered him fifty thou.
sand. He laughed. He wanted two
hundred thousand. They advised him
to raise cocoanuts. What do you sup.
pose he did them?'
Got some other persons interested"
"Right-o! Some Americans in
Rangoon said they'd take it over for
two hundred thousand. Something
about the deal got into the newspapers.
The American oil men sent over q
representative. That settled the syn
dictate. What they could have origi-
nally purchased for ten thousand they
paid three hundred thousand"
Splendid" cried Elsa, clapping her
hands. She could see it all, the quiet
determination Of the man, the perjury
of the lean years, his belief in himself
and in what he had found, and the dis
interested loyalty Of the servant
Sometimes / wish / were a man and
could do things like that"
"Recollect that landing last night"
Elsa's gesture signified that she was
glad to be miles to the south Of it.
GRO BE CONTINIrEDl