New Britain herald., 1923-07-23
THE HUT IN THE CLEARING

hE HUI IN HE 1IIAhlNa
 Chinese" Pennington lay tappint
 the toes of his shoes together gazine
 through the wreath of smoke tha
 hung above him at a lizard that
 clung to the ceiling of the veranda
 of captain John Hewitt--Commis,
 sioner of Police. A hand reached
 down and scratched at section oi
 white calf that showed between the
 lowest extremity of carefully creased
 trouser-leg and the top of crumpled sock The strange diagonal slits, be-
 bind which his eyes had knack ot
 disappearing, widened presently. and he looked across at Monica.
 "IIot isn't if ?"
 "Almots too hot to think. I'm glad you've decided to sit mp because I've lots of things I want to ask you"
 "What sort of things Mrs. Viney?"
 ''There are heaps of things don't understand" she told him Why don't you arrest Mir. Chai-Hung?"
 You think we ought to-"
 Why, of course. You know him to be the leader of Chinese opinion cn the island. you know him to be cunning, unScTupuious tdpdble 'i anything ] can't see why Jack bothers him. of to SCOUT the country side for Chai- Hung's puppets-when the oily oriental who actually pulls the wires is still at large"
 The man with the Chinese eyes balanced q rubber pouch on his knees and began rolling a fresh cigarette. Monica watched him i'm patiently Sae found it difficult to associate in her mind the two Pen ningtons-the youthful. immacuiate idler who ornamented her brothers bungalow. leading an apparently pur- poseless existence, and the gaunt. lean scarecrov who, master of dia- lects and dsgui5e--Wandered unde- tected from drinking house to opium den. from market place to camp hre' bounding out the sprcaders of a se- dition that disturbed the peace of the handful of white settlers that dweit cn. these fring2s of civilization.
 Pm afraid you i1arc to blame me for that, Mrs. Vinoy' he said slowly You see. things aren't always a easy as they seem. Chai Hung .f still the most respected ChinaIman H. Borneo. I'm prepared to admit that there was a time when things looked black against him. It seemed m credible that he should be able to find a way out, hut he did, Among a legion of worshiping followers Il was by no means difficult for him to discover scapegoat.'
 Monica sat up.
 ..But the Yellow Seven" she per sisted excitedly. Nothing can eA- plain away that"
 Pennington spread out his hands,
 T know" he agrae1. Tn almost every outrage committed that yellow card with it's seven black dots has been traced; but what does it go to prove. after all ?--merely that the belonged to society or cult among which this symbol exer- cises significance It proves noth- ing against Chai- Hung
 'But you know
 "Of course l know. You know and so dies wour brother, but it's up to us to nrors our case. It's mp to | me to catch Caa'-EIung rod-handed 1 with the cards iD his possession, Have you erar seen Ia'ans. Mrs. ytnevo It's q weed that grows high i rn ill-tended plantations. Once deeply rooted. it spreads everywhere, To destroy it. you must dig it up-- roots and all--and burn it until there Is nothing left that caH take root orain, The Tellow ;' en is like oianr I've get to make certain that hai- Hung is the root-and the only root"
 T see" said Monica thoughtfully And until this happens-""
 Until then every planter who r,alks in lonely placas-goes in peril if his life. every white man who em- ,ioy a Chinese cook boy should look loosely into his credentials when he .ngages hin. and carefully into his cooking forever efter,'
 At that moment. Pennington, who lad been looking through the door vay raised warning finger. Monica turned to see the face of Chai-Hung -egarding her from the foot Of the ;teps which jed to the veranda. Over 1is head was the inevitable red um- ,rella, and an underszed cooie-iIl- avored and hump backed-lurked in he background The Oriental bent himself nearly double before the English girl.