The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-18
NEA Service, Inc. 1921
BEGIN HERE TODAY

l
Police at Jesselton, British North
Bornco. Pennington Is detailed by
the government to apprehend Chai-
Hung, leader Of The Yellow Seven,
gang of Chinese bandits. Denis
Moorhouse, district officer, receives
a call from. dusky Dyak belle who
! dances before the assembled chiefs
at the rice harvest. Moorhouse, at
tending this festival, notices that
the girl wears wonderful silver
gauntlets. s.%sis
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
And still Denis Moorhouse felt
hopelessly' at sea. He glanced back
over his shoulder toward the living
room and his half finished meal, then
drew the tumbler from the. arm Of
his chair and sent the soda kissing
into the amber fluid. All the time,
while he strove to establish a mental
balance, he felt that the girls eyes
were fixed on him and the hooking
light that played in them made him
uneasy.
Il am busy man." he protested,
land am tired. do not yet under
stand the motive that has brought
you here"
Again that intoxicating smile.
She leant backward over the rail
so that the Tightening folds of her
sarong accentuated the graceful
curves of her form; the garment
seemed to have become part of her,
lik ethe plumage of bird or the
down of gorgeous butterfly that
flutters for a brief moment in the
sunlight and is gone. Moorhouse
knew that she would go-knew that
she must 60; but strange, uncon-
trollable desire was swiftly building
itself up within him to postpone
the moment of her departure.
"Thc Tuan-Hakim will remember
that when l left the clearing l ran
quickly into the forest. had gone
but little way through the trees
when something tripped me and 1
fell. One Of the silver things that a
chief had made for me slipped from
my hand and looked up presently
to see that great orang- CHINA
yellow man, tall and very fat-had
picked the thing from the grass and
was looking at it. sprang at him
like tiger-cat, but q second man
held my arms from behind, so that
could not move. There were other
Cinnamon in the jungle, for l could
hear the bushes as they moved. The
man who held the silver hand car
ried one arm in black cloth and his
fono ns,i1 AfSn~ 1,k<1o
while he drew his arm from the
cloth and thrust under my eyes the
stump where hand had been"
(Which hand was it," interrupted
Moorhouse quickly.
"The left, tuan."
It had come back to the D. O.'s
memory that Pennington had told
him how one. of his men had severed
Chai-Hung's left hand at the wrist.
Il have. reason to be sure, because
the silver sheath that L lost was from
my left hand. Who am afraid ,of
othlng-feared this man. Black
GIRL the orang- China said, 4 have
more need of this thing than you,
therefore shall keep it. Presently
from the folds of his. coat he pro-
duced knife. Bring me the head
of the Englishmah who sat in the
clearing when YOU danced-and you
shall have your hand He walked
away into the trees and it was long
while before he returned. Listen
he said again. There is white man
whom the natives call He Who Sees
in the Dark. Kill .him-and I will
give you hands of gold-that all other
dancers may envy you"
The magistrate smiled grimly.
"The Chinaman said, that did he ?"
The girl nodded.
ut is a difficult thing" she added
gravely, "for unless I kill you'll
lose the silver hand forever and, If
l kill you, lose a friend!"
"You will also stand a very good
chance of being strung up by the
neck for the crowds to peck at! Did
he tell you where to take the head
of the white MANI"
II must 60 to certain house
where they eat opium-and he will
take me with him to the orang-
China"
Moorhouse grunted.
ut is not such difficult thing.
after ALL" he told her. Zone day
soon, when / shall tell you, will
give you a parcel to take to this
Chinaman. You will say to the man
at the opium-house that the head Of
the white man is there, but you can
only show it to the orang- China who
has the silver hand. He will take
you with him and, at little distance,
I shall follow carefully. Come to me
every evening until that day
Goodnight" rA<
She left the rail and came toward
him hesitantly, her arms OUT
stretched in front of her.
II have no home" she said softly.
"Will not the Tuan-Hakim, let inc
stay?"
There was choking sensation in
his throat as Moorhouse avoided her
gaze. He shook his head.
1T would be neither good for you
nor for me, little silver hand" he
stammered. He turned abruptly to-
ward the door OF the inner room to
indicate that the palaver was at an
end. 50. so.
Presently something shattered to
che floor and the girl was gone.
He swung slowly round on his heel
and saw. the thing that she had
dropped. It was knife with long
? IL Y 81 - ]. !.