Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-02


| IA the faint breeze that was STIR
1 \ ring, but 1t also shut out the
intense glare of the afternoon
sun. Peter stared at the thing. 1t mad
become hideous to him--the design was
irregular. chaotic. as though born OF &
nightmare; its pigments were OF deep
black and a rusty red and the circles
and lines all seemed to run together
in every direction. and 1t hurt his eyes.
But he couldn't help staring at II. His
eyes, when he opened them, always re-
verted TO the thing. and he was possess
ed of an insane desire TO measure the
circles against each other to see which
was the largest and the lines against
each other TO see which was the longest
The tapa cloth was of a piece in his
mental calendar with the flooring OF the
hut, which was made OF broken coral
and over which was spread the native
mat upon which he lay: both existed in
his consciousness from the hour that
the first faint glimmerings OF reason
had returned TO him and that. he knew
was many days ago. He had never be.
come accustomed to his hard, uneven
couch with its sharp bits OF coral and
like the tapa cloth, 1t plagued him.
He had been very Ill. He was still
| ill-and pitifully weak. When he had
| been able to wonder about 1t at all the
| wonder Of 1t had been that he had
| lived. The natives had been kind. very
wonderfully kind, but the nourishment
| of a white man. desperately sick war
| not tafolo-he did not know the native
| tongue, but the correlation Of the Oft
| repeated serving of the dish had taught
| him that tafolo meant coconut milk. In
| which there swan endless and unin-
wiling hunks of breadfruit
And yet he had lived. He was even
| regaining his strength-very slowly. !
| was true: but none the less surely. Yes
terday, in the cool OF the evening he
| had even walked few steps along thg
beach Gown there on the edge Of the
lagoon. Today he would go again-ii
| another two or three hours IL would b.
cool enough. Damn that tapa cloth
| II he could only sleep through those
. two or three hours!
He closed his eyes and fell into a
browse. Strange dreams came. un-
capny. f1tful snatches Of things that
had no beginnings and no endings. and
after a while, out OF the vagaries OF
this fantasy, 1t seemed as though a
voice was insistingIy calling his name
II came in sort OF sing song fashion
Hello, Peter Blake. my lad.
Hello. Peter Blake. my lad. :"
HFiIcs FebI i3idKs. my idnl
Peter Blake sat suddenly upright
vide awake. He stared around him
The hut vas empty, and the iapa cloth
still hung across The entrance. But ht
could have sworn the voice was real
actual. existent
who's calling mep" he cried out.
The tapa cloth was lerkcd aside snt
white mans figure suddenly filed Thu
lox and narrow entrance The mar
was rubbing his hands together in q
sort Of plecful and compliment manner
"ia" calculated the man. Rather
neat. ! call thatl Admit you're petel
Blake. then. don't you?"
. Peter rubbed his eyes Perhaps h,
was stilI dreaming! The man was short
and stocky, with enormously broad
! shoulders he wore pants aud shir
| without any coat he had tawny beare
, that lpoked seif~clipped and whit.
cap With black visor crowned a shocI
~ brlck~fcd hair. Peter rubbed hi
eyes DlIce more.
A white man at lasts Unless II wer,
dream! Only this one talked IL
though hf were mad!
Why shouldn't ! admit ~" Pete
, injured IA little heIpieaAy
mo reason" said the man promptly
'@erinp a. how II wouldn't do YOU u,
r.
vas just H. glad 10 cheek up Oh /
from the start. Not that there WA
much doubt about H.. mind y0ut There
the motor boat down there on the beaci
With the name Marion stili all NIGEL
painted On her which taliies with tn
: description, and here's you here. r.
nov, sammy, my lad. where's then
pearlsf"
Peter stared biankiy. The red HARE,
man steDised forward into the hut. II
: was followed by II group of natives
among WiiDm Was the towering figuf
r 81 Itafu, the chief. Peters eyes, wan
z dttin9 from the white mans face, me
> aud held those III the chief He di
+ not understand. Hafu. who had bee
| kindnehs Itself, who. indeed. had ~,
iGla h'h Il, his Peters, disposal Wa
E EiatlhP ~ Jiim nav with h ssilieu, itIi
q Difhsaif s9'DWi
Peter shp,k his head Ills eyes r.
FtitFd ~ ihr red haired man
10 ~ ] wasn't afraid that ! was hti
1obbiY enough IN iile head 10 be III
tHe via ~ little mad, ID eeriainl
H. say you ~tte." Ii. observed quietly
dpnt khIw what you are taIkiB
8b0ui "
!. continued in ImnhitnY's STAR
r--,~.#=-----s ---.-ry+4--e
% The scientisi Humboldt stated TIN
some Peruvian Indiana could follow