Evening star., 1925-01-27
CONTINUED from Yesterdays star.)

us up with a round turn. Milliken
and reconstructed a map on the floor
of the cave, and came to the conclu-
sion that we We're somewhere on the
horders of Colombia, Venezuela and
Brazil, hundreds of kilometers away
from any reasonable civilization.
without food or any weapons for pro-
Nldlng 1t, with no sense OF our direc-
tton once we left the plateau and be-
gan to traverse the sunless forest or
follow equally sunless rivers, escape
seemed impossible. South of US lay
league upon league Of dense forest
and swamp. north and west high bar
Tiers of mountains, and to the east a
ramitied veinwork of rivers, appar-
emily tributary to the Amazon. / did
not feel competent to lead my COM
panions through any of these ways,
granting that we escaped from the
plateau. My paths are in the air. I
have no skill in woodcraft and jungle
work. l felt lost.
This sense of being lost was shared
not only by Dan Lamont, but by even
the resourceful Millikeu. Had I been
competent to lead, he would have fol-
lowed, but taking the lead himself he
felt to be out of the question. 1t must
he remembered that in our approach
to the plateau the Merlin had covered
D hundreds and hundreds of kilometers
In wide circles without bringing into
our view the slightest trace of human
occupation. We had to discard the
idea of escaping by land entirely.
We had vague notion of one Of us
slowing away in the airship and es-
Gaping from her on some raid, but
consideration of the plan soon showed
us that it was impossible. There re-
manned the breaking of our parole.
We did not discuss that. At length
we decided to give our word not to
attempt escape.
To this moment. when I look back
and wonder a little that We did not
make a bid for freedom, l hold the be-
lief that the dominating and persua-
sive personality of the chief of the
league had much to do with our ac-
ceptance of the situation. For my
self, l became avid to see the ship
Aand the weapons which had fooled
L Wne so completely on my Merlin, ana
ban Lamont was in q fever to be nos
ing out the scientific facts that gave
the raiders such power. In the Lapo-
ratory of the chief he had seen much
in the way of instruments ana plant
that was unfamiliar even to his skill
ed eye, and he considered that his OBJ
iect in joining my party was gained
In having reached the workshop OF
the man who had planned the raids.
MiIliken saw no means of escape. he
was downcast about it, but he ac-
cepted the situation and shared the
desire to look closely al the airship-
though in a slighter degree than my
self, since he had a rooted contempt
for so-called lighter-than-air ma
chimes.
When morning came we all three
desired an interview. with the chief,
(which was Immediately granted.
y you have acted wisely. gentle
men," he said. Escape was impos-
sible. Even if you had eluded pur-
suit, the chances are all against you
ever reaching civilization. Let me ex-
plain to you, partly
He went over to a cupboard, and
brought out a linen bag containing
something roughly round in shape,
little bigger than an orange.
'Of all the men who have joined the
League of the Covenant" he said
ouietlv-"aud there are close on 80
men here, some of whom have been
in these caves for three years-only
one fell short of absolute loyal and
devoted service. One mana traitor
We do not say his name, nor do we
mention his nationality. He is for
gotten as if he never existed. rms
han forgot his allegiance. The world
pulled at him, his desire for the hesh-
pots-he deserted the company and
tried to make his way back to civili-
zation.'
With his solitary hand the chief
was undoing the strings of the linen
bag with a singular deftness.
'On his journey Quit was two
days before we started in pursuit for
he had been hunting-he fell in with
a tribe of Indians, the Mandaruen,
who have one curious art The story
we heard afterwards was that this
traitor insulted one of the native
XVomen-he was that sort of man
and he was taken and killed. Months
later, two of our hunters came upon
the same tribe. In one of the huts
they found this"
He let the sides of the bag fall away,
knd he pulled out a miniature head.
This was longish haired, highly var
nished, and the lips had been sewn
together with brightly colored threads
which hung down in long strands far
below the severed neck.
Good Lord, sir" l exclaimed. 1T
isn't the traitors head?"
THAT. Mr.. Boon" said the chief, "is
Just what this object is. 1t is the
head of our traitor, shrunk to this lit
tie measure by the art of the In
dians."
Il have heard of the process, sir"
Dan Lamont put in. They take out
the bone structure, and shrink the
flesh with hot pebbles.
THAT is the process, 1 believe. The
lips are sewn together to prevent the
victim cursing his captor. The preser-
walton of the lienaments is quite re-
markable."
The chief gently replaced the head
In its cover and turned to US.
"I do not insult you by suggesting
that, having given your word, you
would endeavor to escape, and that is
not why / have shown you this curl
Gus relic of one who attempted 1t.
You will be free to explore round the
plateau as you like, and to examine
all our caves. But l warn you not to
stray too far. 1t is dangerous to be
bushed in the Amazon forests, and to
fall victim to the curious picking art
Of the Mandaruen is perhaps the least
painful of the fates that might over
take you. I warn you solemnly to
take care how you go"
THANK you, sir" l said.
"One other thing ] must request of
YOU" he went on. You are granted
the freedom to go outside the caves
on the obvious condition that in the
event of aircraft flying over the pla-
teau as your Merlin did, you will not
make any signal or reveal your pres
ence in any way. If you sight air
craft while in the open and out of
fair reach of cover, you will stand
quite still at once and not look up.
AS an airman, Mr.. Boon, you will ap-
preciate my reasons for that request?"
"Yes, sir. Quite
II put it briefly In the event of
anything happening hostile to the
purpose of the League of the Cove
nant, you will act as il you were
&uembers of the league, short of join
ing in any retaliatory measures we
may take against our enemies. Do L
make myself clear?'
'fYes sir" he said