The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-08-16
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Great -Hakim, one of these
days you may have need of mel"
The words flowed easily from her
lips, with the steady conviction of a
sorceress-and it was within the
bounds of possibility that she put a
spell upon Moorhouse, because she
was gone, leaving him without a
memory of the manner of her going
and a golden bangle resting in the
folds of his white tunic. He gathered
a little later that her arrival and
departure constitute as much a mys-
terry to all as to himself.
In the solitude of his room he had
turned that bangle over and over
between his sun tanned fingers, try
ing to discover some reasonable mo-
tive for such a gfti.
Accordingly, with due regard to
the value of the bracelet and to the
fact that white magistrates in black
countries are scarcely in the habit
of accepting gifts from fascinating
dancing girls, Moorhouse had estab-
| lished it pretty clearly in the local
mind that the girl was to be found
end brought to him, that he might
| have an opportunity of returning to
her the missing property.
This. was a month ago and still no
trace had been found of the girl with
the silver hands. But, although hui
man memory is inclined to be short
lived and many events were crammed
INTO four short weeks of Moorhouse's
existence, that one incident at the
| padi harvest kept cropping up when
he curtain of night dropped suddenly
and the D. o. was free to indulge in
his glass Of whisky at shutdown, his
long chair, his bath and the company
of his dog.
AS Moorhouse lay, inert. waiting
for the native boy to announce the
arrival Of dinner an orderly in round
nat and bare feet battered I'D the
steps and, saluting respectfully, pre-
| sented the district officer with a let.
ter that had just arrived by native
runner.
Dear Moorhouse," it ran. more
trouble for you, I'm afraid. The Vel.
low Seven business has broken out
again and three planters have been
| attacked, one of them fatally Chat.
Hung-leader of the gang-has been
traced to your area. Am sending re-
Inducements. Cooperate with Daw-
son and do your best to round up.
Pennington viii be with you almost
mediately.-Hewitt."
He rose somewhat YEARLY to his
feet and, crossing to the Iamp. read
the missive again. Presently he
glanced up sharply
"An right.''
The orderly saluted and disap
peared.
The magistrate stubbed his toe
against a corner of the bookcase
swore softly to himself and shouted
for his slippers. While awaiting the
advent Of the boy, he dug out a pho
tograph Of the bandit and surveyed
it curiously. He saw a fat oriental
staring blandly from the portrait
| through a pair of horn-rimnfed spec
tacles. At the time when the pic
ture was made, Chaia-Hung had been
the most respected celestial in the
archipelago; today. thanks tc the eff
forts Of Chinese Pennington, the rob
ber-chief stood revealed in his true
colors.
The boy shuffled in with the slip
pers. but still Moorhouse did not stir
He was thinking Of the Yellow Sever
and the resourcefulness of its notori
Gus leader. Hitherto his district had
been mercifully free from the unwel
come attentions of the organization
to which almost every Chinanan or
the island belonged; but Dawson hac
had considerable dealings with Chat
Hung, and Moorhouse was asked tt
cooperate with Dawson.
1t was with mixed feelings that
ne sat down to table and dissected a
helping Of buffalomeat. He was in
the act Of consigning Hewitt. Dawson
Chai-Hung and Pennington to the
deuce when the black chow shot
barking, from the kitchen quarters or
TO the veranda. The magistrate. gaz
ing through the open doorway, caught
t glimpse of a dark form dimly out
lined against the blackness.
"Tuan, will you call your dog?"
The voice came from the stairs.
| Moorhouse took the lamp from the
bracket and, holding it beyond the
wooden rail. peered over Presently
he uttered muffled exclamation and
replaced the lamp. He whistIed VI
the dog.
Come here" he commanded. ant
the girl obeyed
You are the girl who danced in
the Kampon?"
yah, tuan."
She held herself very erect AMI
Moorhouse noticed that the sarong Of
shimmering green had given place tt
one of terra Gotta. She leant almost
insolently against the veranda raj
and surveyed the Englishman calmly
He passed her a cigaret and won
dered where she had learnt to light
it over the chimney of a lamp.
What is your name?" he demanded
presently.
Il have no name"
| MoOrhouse moistened his lips.
Where do you come frorn?"
VI have no home.''
The district officer frowned and the
girl laughed delightfully."- disarmine
laugh that almost made Moorhoust
forget the dignity that his office de
manded.
You have come for your bracelet
She shook her head and the lines
of her handsome face hardened.
II come not for the bracelet" she
told him. because am child OF
the forests, taking when I wish to