The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-17
NEA Service. Inc. 1874

AHIS uuuSudl oeEleS VI StOA'SS NSo'"
with the exploits of "Chinese" PEN
,nington, q detective sent by his gov
eminent to British North Borneo to
run to earth The Yellow Seven, u
gang of Chinese bandits.
Denis Moorhouse--District Officer
at Bukit- Iban-lay at full length in
long cane chair. In hole in the
arm of the chair rested = glass and,
few inches distant fIom Moor
houses stockinged feet, .reposed a
pair of muddy riding boots. A black
chow sat licking its forepaws at the
the top of the steps, pausing every
now and then to raise its head and
growl at the slightest sound that
waited upward from the night
shrouded clearing.
Denis Moorhouse-refreshed by a
bath of hot water ladled over himself
from prcposterous earthenware jar
of native manufacture, felt at peace
with all men. He was tall, thin,
amiable specimen of humanity with
fair hair that was wearing thin on
the crown. Functioning as magis-
trate on the edge of beyond, where
ninety out Of hundred men
would have warped, become morbid
or drunk themselves into oblivion
this CHEEKY philosopher had succeed
ed in steering middle course
Moorhouse-with his black dog at
his heels-was as welcome in Bor.
neo long-house as in the bungalow
of the Commissioner of Police.
Under normal conditions, it might
not unreasonably be assumed that
rhouse-reclining in glorious
idleness after a strenuous day spent
in the swcltcring court-house-was
dreaming of home or of the white
girl whose photograph occupied 8
sole and prominent position on his
dressing table; but the girl IN the
ebonized frame was his sister anc
the district officer had no home Other
than the one he now occupied. A.
matter of fact, he was thinking Of
the Dusky Dyak belle who hae
danced before the assembled chief.
in the Kampon at the other side o.
the valley when the rice-harvest was
completed; a shapely, alluring fe
male with an Independent swing o,
| shoulders and features that woult
have done credit to a Western beau
ty. Moorhousc had been present a
this dance, showing his white teetl
when the young warriors-drunl
with samsu-urged their watcr-buf
faloes across the open wastes AM
mildly applauding the crazy postur
ing of women who danced with hu
man heads.
:. Then, just as he had made up hi
mind to pay his respects to his host
and depart, the wonder-woman from
the forests had whirled into the fire
light. He remembered her after
ward as vision encased in saroni
of shimmering green, with singh
bracelet of gold at either wrist, he
dark hair secured by dagger o
which both the point and the jew
! eled hilt were distinctly visible. Nor
miraculous still, her hands we're hid
den by wonderfully fashioned gaunt
lets of silver, each wrought to re
semble the form of the hand itself
Her dance had eliminated in a sor
of joyous stampede, she had falle
PROSTATE before the semicircle o
gaping headmen, then crawled wit
the 1.-the, sinuous movements of
snake toward the spot where tn
Englishman sat. Before he coul
forestall her, two warm arms had en-
circled his ankles and lustrou,
mocking eyes were fixed upon hi
face.
"Great Tuan- Hakim, one of thes
days you may have need of mel"
The words flowed easily from he
lips, with the steady conviction of
sorceress-and it was within tn
bounds of possibility that she put
spell upon Moorhouse, because sh
was gone, leaving him without
memory of the manner Of her goin
and a golden bangle resting in tn
folds of his white tunic. He gathere
little later that her arrival an
departure constituted as much
mystery to all as to himself.
In the solitude of his room he ha
turned that bangle over and owe
between his sun-tanned fingers, tr!
ing to discover some reasonable mi
tive for such a gift.
Accordingly, with due regard
the value of the bracelet and to tt
, fact that white magistrates in blat
countries are scarcely in the hab
of accepting gifts from fascinatir
. dancing-girls, Moorhouse had esta'
!. lished it pretty clearly in the loo
mind that the girl was to be four
and brought to him, that he migl
have an opportunity of returning
her the missing property.
This was a month ago and still
trace had been found of the girl wit
the silver hands. But, although HI
man memory is inclined to be shor
lived and many events we
= crammed into four short weeks
Moorhouseis existence, that one il
Ecident. at the padi-harvest' kept Gro
, ping up when the curtain of mig
dropped suddenly and the d. O. WI
free to indulge in his glass OF whisi
at shutdown, his long chair, his bal
and the company of his dog.
As ,Moorhouse lay, inert, waitil
for the native boy to announce Il
arrival of dinner, an orderly in rou'
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