Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-09-05
FIVE LUMPS OF
SUGAR
By ALBERT W. ToLMAN


90. Doubleday. PaiEs g Co. Garden City. N.Y.
TT WAS raining that tropIc noon on
= the northern horizon up toward Min,
doro. as II misty fingers were sponglng
the color from the fringe of the copper
sky. The FIVE castaways in the
typhoon-battered dinghy looked at the
bronze splotch thirstily. plcturIng
heaven beyond those low clouds hover
ing vigorously and benignantly over
the unseen land where men had food
to eat and water to drink and trees to
shade them from the sun.
All Sing. the Malay steward. was
busy with turned back In the bow;
the four whites gave him no heed.
Soon he faced them, a small sack In
his hand, his black eyes glltterlng
snakily under his low yellow forehead.
ut is better that one should die than
Eve. Meat and drink are ours, IL we
will. In my country we gamble with
Jumps of sugar. that man winning or
losing on whose lump a fly shall first
allght. 1t is a fair game, even though
used by dogs like myself, unworthy to
lick up the crumbs from white mems
tables"
His thin lips sneered venomously.
His eyes shot gIances Of baleful FIRE.
From the sack he shook into his fat
palm flve sugar cubes. the last of their
dwindled rati0ns.
let us play this game, each stak-
ing his life on the lump he chooses
Allah Will send fly, and the man
on whose piece II first sets foot shall
yield bis body as food for the rest"
The whites shrank from him In dis
gust and horror. but the tempting
Malay voice purred on:
at is free and fair; no man shares,
unless he risks; no man risks unless
he wishes to share. His risk is one
to four: his chances of sharing are
four to one"
Dead silence brooded over the boat.
The brains Of the men were boiling 10
their skulls, their throats were
parched, their blood was thick. For
days no food or drink had passed
their lips. They stared DULY out
across the pale blue sea. Behind the
dinghy trailed patient black I'm
waiting. waiting.
All Sings eyes cleaned furtively, as
he watched them ponderIng. With a
swift gesture he plucked cube from
his open palm.
Il will take the first"
He extended his lean hand to the
others. his voice vibrant and master
full.
Choose"
Cracked lips growing assent, they
chose mechanically with averted faces
All Sings steady fingers placed his
lump on the thwart, and each white
followed with him with tremulous
hand, knowing that he might be seal
ing his own death warrant They they
waited. intently. hungrily, jealously,
fearfully, fiercely, feeling their lives
shrink to the compass of the brittle
cubes they wntched.
Out Of nowhere appeared fly, and
alighted on the gunwale. Its wings
were FURNISHED, Its body bottle green
its eyes like points Of fire. To one Of
the FIVE II was the angel of death, sent
by Allah or the devil.
Abruptly It sprang into the afr, and
hung above the thwart with tanning
wings. No one breathed. For mo-
ment II lowered over the stewards
lump. and his yellow face blanched
ashen. Then 1t darted down upon the
captains.
The others turned sickly. but the
Malay, uttering a cry of savage joy,
drew his needle-poInted knife. and
with teeth barred crouched for the
spring on his chief. Suddenly the
mate regalned his voice.
"Seize that mani" eroaked he; md
a sailor wrapped his gaunt arms about
An Sing, and held him. struggling and
furious
The mate picked up the stewards
lump; on the thwart beneath lay a
dark moist spot. He smelled the cube,
then turned in wrath on the writhing
Malay.
"Thls lump has been soaked In
kerosene. No fly would alight on 1t,
even II he were starving"
With cries Of rage the others threw
themselves on the traitor. But he flung
them off, menacing with his keen
blade, and went headlong overheard.
The black FIN astern slid up alongside
and disappeared in furry of foam,
leaving a slowly spreading stain of
blood.
The four. breathing hard, questioned
one another with their eyes. The mate
answered for all;
"No; wen die like white men"
He flung the Jumps ints the sea.
The hours dragged by, silent, hot and
leaden, each bringing nearer lnsensl-
bility and death.
II was raining again at sunset up
toward Mlndoro, but the men in the
dinghy did not heed it. A short, fat
steamer throwing black smoke, was
wallowing toward them; and that was
heaven enough.