The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-25
:1NG NGGl0W SGVeN
" The Wisdom Of ~
w Rabat.Pilai c.
BY Edmund Smell.


veranda. Curled in chair, cigaret
between his lips and half-filleI
tumbler resting in the cavity in the
arm, lay Chinese Pennington.
"Oh! good evening! Thought id
left you behind in Jesselton."
He blundered past Pennington,
found a seat and began unlacing his
boots.
"D'you intend stopping here?'
IF / may"
"Certainly-delighted, of course.
No need to offer you drink, see!"
Two diagonal Sits were all that
was visible of the Englishman's eyes.
"No thanks. I brought my own!'
Van Daulen paused with one boot
half drawn off-and stared hard at
his guest.
"You : brought - your = own -
whisky"
The Dutchman choked something
back in his throat and discarded the
boot. He was evidently ill at ease
for, while endeavoring to operate
the second pair of laces, he got them
hopelessly knotted.
my boy made your pretty comfort
able, hope?" he jerked out with
out looking up.
Brought my own!"
Van Daulen sprang to his feet,
ludicrous figure in one riding boot
and gray sock.
"Confound it all, Pennington; this
is too much of good thing!"
Chinese eyes" in case have occa.
sion to write anything taken
the additional precaution of bringing
a fountaln-pen!"
The Dutchman stood for some mo-
ments, clenching and unclenching
his fists, then dropped heavily back
on to his seat.
IF l thought for one moment you
meant to imply anything by these
extraordinary breaches of etiquet--
I'D pitch you and your damned SER
want into the garden"
Pennington moved cushion to
more comfortable position.
II assume by that you don't intend
to take any particular precautions
yourself"
The lace broke.
''Such as?"
keeping a close watch on the
cook-house, seeing that your razor
isn't tempered with, setting a reliable
watch on the house at night, qucs-
tioning all strangers found wander
ing on the estate"
ut occurs to me-" retorted Van
Daulen, shat if you were to leave
estate affairs to those who under
stand them-and occupy, yourself
solely with the rounding-up Of the
Yellow Seven, you'd be rendering the
island better service"
Pennington grinned.
"You want me to 60 out and find
Chai-Hung?"
"Most certainly" y
81 prefer to wait for him here"
"You'll have to wait long time
"D'you really think that? l. hap
pen. to know that Kasih-ayer is the
identical spot selected by the Yellow
Seven as offering a suitable stretch
Of coast-line to aid them in their fu-
ture plans. They polished off poor
much while Vane. Whitaker and
yourself are alive"
Van Daulen crossed the floor in
his socks and poured himself out
stiff helping of neat spirit.
"Why didn't you put up at Vance's
or Whittaker's?"
Because" said Pennington sweet.
ly, 81 had a notion Chai-Hung had
selected you for his next victim. I
made most interesting discovery
while you were away this afternoon.
Of bright yellow paint, tin of black
enamel and two brushes"
Van Daulen spun round on his heel.
"Where ?" he demanded thickly.
Buried couple of feet down in a
neatly boarded recess under your
own house."
"Under-my-house
"Bang under the steps,"
/ Van Daulen leant heavily on the
rail.
"May I see those brushes 2" he in.
quired suddenly.
"I'm afraid that's impossible. You
see, sent them down to Hewitt by
a special messenger over an hour
ago. They've finger-print expert
down there-and paints thing that
can be easily rubbed Off"
There followed a long period of
silence during which 1.-the, brown
skinned scarecrow, with an ear and
eye missing and a mouth slit ut
either side so that it's owner wore u
perpetual grin, emerged from the
living room and hung a lighted oil
lamp on a hook above the table. The
Dutchman-still leaning over the
wooden rail, filling his pipe from a
bag of tobacco-observed the fall of
darkness without turning his head.
The servant paused on his way out,
stared deliberately at Pennington, re-
ciprocated the broad wink that he
received-and disappeared.
"That stuff couldn't have got
under here without somebody know
ing it," said Van Daulen.
"That is my contention. Whoever
was responsible for the crime had an
accomplice in the house."
The other grunted.
appears to lie between my boy
and myself"
$50 I took the liberty of arresting
the boy"
"The devil,you did!"