Evening star., 1921-03-27

friend.
II don't suppose Davidson was
talking very loudly; but very likely
he had to raise his voice across the
table to my friend. And here acci-
dent, mere accident. put in Its work
by providing a pair Of fine ears close
behind Davidson's chair. It was ten
to one against the owner. of the same
cts to get his tiffin here But he had.
Most likely had rocked somebody of
a few dollars at cards overnight. He
was a bright creature of the name of
Fector, a square. short, jumpy fellow
with q red face and muddy eyes. He
described himself as journalist. as
a certain kind of women give them
selves out as actresses in the dock OF
a police court.
He had been kicked, horsewhipped,
imprisoned and bounded with igno-
miny out of pretty well every place
between Ceylon and Shanghai for
professional blackmailer.
II suppose, in that trade, you've got
to have active wits and sharp ears.
It's not likely that he overheard every
word Davidson said about hts dollar
collecting trip, but he heard enough
to set his wits at work.
He let Davidson go out: and then
slums to . sort of lodging house kept
in partnership by the usual sort OF
Portuguese and a very disreputable
Chinaman.
There. the evening before, Fector
had met q precious couple. partner
ship even more queer than the Portu-
Ruese and the Chinaman. One of the
two was Niclaus-you know. Why!
the fellow with Tartar mustache
and a yellow complexion like Mon
LII ,AN
straight and his face was not so fiat.
One couldn't tell what breed he was.
A nondes script beggar. From a GER
tain angle you would think a very
bilious white man. And I daresay he
was. He owned a Malay prau and
would say: The captain Aha! Now
you remember. He couldn't. appar-
emily. speak any other European lam
Euage than English. but he flew the
Dutch dag on his prau::
The other was the Frenchman
without hands. Yes. The verv same
We used to know in '79 in Sydney.
keeping q little tobacco shop at the
Tower end OF George street. You re-
members the huge carcass hunched up
behind the counter. the big white face
and the long black hair brushed back
OF q high forehead like a bard's. He
Vas always trying to roll cigarettes
on his knee with his stumps. telling
endless yarns Of Polynesia and whin-
ing and cursinR in turn about mon
malheur: His hands had been blown
away BY . dynamite cartridge while
fishing In some lagoon. This accident.
believe. had made him more wicked
than before. which is saying a good
deal.
sSTHE couple were alone together
loafng in the common room of
that Infamous hotel when Fector
turned up. After some beating about
the bush. for he was doubtful how far
Re could trust these two. he repeated
what he had overheard in the tiffin-
rooms.
His tale did not have much sue
cess till he came to mention the creek
and Bamtz's name. Niclaus. sailing
about like a native in a prau. was. in
his own words. familiar with the To-
cAlity.' The huge Frenchman, walk
stumps in the pockets OF his jacket.
stopped short in surprise. Comment?
Bamtz. Bamtz"
And he applied such contemptu-
ously indecent epithet to Bamtz that
when later. he alluded to him as 'une
chiffe' "a mere rac) it sounded quite
complimentary. We can do with him
what we like he asserted.
He saw all that lot OF dollars
melted into bars and disposed Of
somewhere on the China coast. OF
the escape after the coup he never
doubted. There was Siclaus' prau to
manage that in.
I'm his enthusiasm he pulled his
stumps out Of his pockets and waved
them about. Then. catching sight of
them. as it were. he held them in
front OF his eyes. cursing and bias
pheming and bewailing his misfortune
and his helplessness. till Niclaus
quieted him down.
But il was his mind that planned
out the affair and II was his spirit
which carried the two others on
That very evening they departed
on a visit to Bamtz in Niclaus' prau,
which had been lying. emptied OF her
cargo Of cocoanuts for a day or two
under the canal bridge. They must
have crossed the bows of the an
chored Sissie. and no doubt looked at
her with interest as the scene Of
their future exploit. the great haul.
le Grand coup,
"Davidson's wife. to his great sur
prise sulked with him for several
DAYS before he left. On the very last
evening before Davidson went away
she asked him in a suspicious man
rer-
why is it that you are so anx-
ious to go this time
good Davidson. I simply can't help
my place
"'oh. There's no one she said. turn
ing away slowly.
.:<xhA was so diAfant with him that