The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-15
BY Edmund Shell.

bandit must be carried out with the
| utmost secrecy"
The other pressed the tips of his
! fingers together in front of him.
"All exceedingly interesting, Hcw
lit, must admit; but, if l may say
| so, little far-fetchcd. Reading be-
tween the lines, you're all scared to
death of this Chai-Hung fellow be-
cause you have every new outrage
fresh on your memory. You men,
toned the area of Borneo just now.
That has very little bearing on the
present question, because more than
half the place is under Dutch man
! agement and the Yellow Seven CON
fine their activities to British North
Bcrneo, the area of which-if con-
siderable-is certainly not vast" He
| emitted little, self-satisfied chuckle.
Five minutes later, when the major
had retired to the spare-room, the
head of Chinese Pennington was
thrust through the office window fol-
owed almost Immediately by that of
Monica.
ooh, l say, Jack, isn't it perfectly
priceless. Chai-Hungll eat HIM
'ye-SlaSS ana ally"
"He WON'T retorted the Commits,
sioner, because you're going with
him!"
know any more jokes like that ?"
I'm not joking. I'm deadly in
earnest. Where d'you imagine I'm
likely to discover IAN interpreter who
speaks Chinese, Malay and English
except among the Chinese popula-
tion, and I've already explained to
he gibbering idiot that no China
mans to be trusted. Ring up the
barracks, there's a good chap, and
get me on to Fyfe." 81 hi7d or''
Monica caught her brothers
sleeve.
"Are you really serious?"
Rather! l can't allow Armitage
to make fool of himself over Chat
Hung. ~ PENIS got to act as guide,
philosopher and friend to this already
misguided lunatic. He's to change
into suitable gear for the part and
gently lead this disciple of blood and
iron into all those portions of the
island where the bandits least likelv
to be-"
F. Ae sous! murmufed Penning-
tor. lis this stunt going on indefi-
aitely?"
until he gets so confoundedlv
fed-up with the entire concern thai
he decides to chuck his hand in. At
any rate, he'll be back for rations
within week."
Before we start" insisted the
other, there are just one or two
points I'D like to mention. This Chi
nese Interpreter of yours is going to
be of the high-brow variety; not one
OF the sort, you understand, that
squats round camp-fires with dirty
bearers. He's entitled. moreover, to
tent to himself-and full rations."
Hewitt grinned.
II think can manage that for
YOU"
Chinese Pennington carried out in
structions to the letter. It was no
easy matter to avoid Chai-Hung's
band OF brigands, because a crowd
such as Armitage insisted on taking
with him could not fail to attract at
tention
There were other difficulties that
beset their troubled path through
the stunted jungle-wastes, difficulties
for which Armitage was directly re-
sponsible and which he. treated with
such fatuous unconcern that Pen
nington wanted to knock the Offend
ing monocle into the eye that it
adorned. Together with his other
faults-Major Lacy Armitage lacked |
grace. He was the exact opposite to
that type of British officer men will
follow to the ends of the earth, TAX
ing the smooth with the rough Of it.
recognizing errors but still following,
drawn on by their leaders per-
sonality and persistent optimism.
One by one the bearers began to
drop out and on the morning of the
fourth day it was apparent that two
OF the native soldiers had deserted.
The bearers took their load of sup
plies with them--and the two de-
faulters were eventually tracked to
clearing where they lay aside by
side, their Threats slit from ear to
ear, and the sign of the Yellow Seven
pinned to their breasts. '4e1as '>rI
1t stands to Armitage's credit that
he did not turn a hair. The dis
covery had, as matter of fact, the
Opposite effect tosthat which Pen
nington had imagined. 1t merely
whetted the others appetite and en-
couraged him to push forward, UNI
mindful of the fact that he was al
ready four days march from his
original base-with about two and q
half days rations still in hand.
well get him yet, Sing-Ho," he
declared. II may as we'll inform you,
now we're on the subject, that up to
this moment I'd regarded you as an
unholy fraud"
The interpreter evinced consider
able surprise.
"A fraud, tuan 2" he echoed blank
ly.
I'm not man accustomed to
making mistakes. It has been grad
ually dawning upon me that you
were out to earn your money easily:
You never intended to encounter !
this countryman Of yours and you
had fully made up your mind to
profit by my unfortunate ignorance
Of local languages. have habit of
inspecting the camp before turning
in. On three occasions recently
I've. found your tent empty.
CONTINUED in OUT Next Issue)