Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-07

LIE took up the section of plated flooring
tossed out the tobacco. and motioned to
the Yela man 10 hide. 1t was the only chance
The Screeching of the cockatooS was almost
drowned in louder yels coming down from the
forested heights above. The hounds were COM
ing now: were surely near.
Into the hole went the Yela man. The
trader pulled the section of flooring into place,
drew the mat on top of 1t, and set the bed
over all.
1t seemed scarcely a minute before the whole
house was surrounded by yelling, yelping crea-
lures.
Richard flung open the back door. No use
trying to keep them out-they were on the
steps already. Some of them ran under the
house. A round dozen burst into the one room
that made the home and Office of the trader
Among them, painted, wild all but unrecogniz-
Blades leaned back against the wall, cigarette
between his lips
"I've done my best" he said and watched
the hunt. II suppose" he thought that rain
washed out tn, beggar's footmarks and puzzled
them bit. They can't find him now"
They scrambled about beneath the hut He
knew that 1t would not take much to arouse
the suspicious attention of these human
houncs-a broken end Of bamboo hanging
down. bulge in the fiooring-
It seemed an hOur-it could not have been
more than five mnutes-before the leader Of
the pack called off his mates. They massed
themselves together in front of the hut, and
Mbh driven on from behind, advanced
Him want to Savvy" said Mbh you bin
see-em this nan?"
mo" answered Blades, without hesitation
Him talk" said Mbh agreeably, suppose
you See-em this man, no tell, him makem
one" something unpronounceabe belong
YOU"
Without doubt. the something unpronounce-
able meant hare" or Its equivalent. II he
were concealing the victim, he might expect
them to even up things by making q victim
Of him. -.
Blades perceived that. without any warning,
he was being called upon to make choice be-
tween another mans life and his own. It sur
prised him little; but what surprised him
more was his immediate certainly that there
could be no choice but one.
Tell them to go TO the deuce" he answered
as promptly. Within himself something small
and astoniShed whispered: IF this is being a
hero, there isn't much in IL, after ALL"
His indifference seemed to pique the Yela men.
They muttered and grumbled. But Blades, who
was learning very fast in the sharp school of
danger, perceived that the hunting look was
absent from their faces. And Mbh, greatly
daring, turned his head away from the crowd
to send his master a secret signal he had
learned from white men In Tagula-a strange
signal that consisted in closing one eye while
you kept the other open.
They're only bluning," was what the signal
said. 1t said Also. 'I joined I'm to save my
own bacon, but don't mean It. You can rely
on me"
It occurred to Blades that he had been
hero for nothing-if any man ever is q hero
for nothing, which is point that would bear
elaboration. He said Tell them to go and
look somewhere else"
Mbh understood: translated. The blood lust
was diving out in these men; they were ex-
ceedinely tired and also extremely hungry.
"Mbh,' Blades said, give these men the
last Of the biscuits and meat. and tell them
to take it down to the Jaggega and eat it
there AS for you come in and sweep the
shop o. I'll bust your head open"
"Fessir,' saluted the hunter, me coming"
'FHE' Jsggega, a circle of fiat stones. Law
farther down the beach Biscuit and tim
rec Meat were not the usual fare of those who
pIcnicEed there. But your Ycla man is, above
al things. practical (Which will he his saliva
tion one day., being always ready to take the
cash and let the credit CO.
The credit, in the shape of a very wretched
human being lay underneath Blades floor
while score or so of tired disappointed and
utterly Tun-out hunters devOured the cash
Pray Heaven that the ketch may turn no
"AlE week, remarked Blades to himself
"YeSsir,' agreed the repentant Mbt busy
raising dust
You don't understand" went ON Blades
for the sake OF hearing himself talk. But,
apart from the stores, it's full time sometp,dv
came along to keep me sane I was seeing
ghosts last nght-thngS that don't axist
Lovely girls, my Mbh, when no girls were
there"
MDh seemed to catch a word he knew
hn
VINO IN the name OF the English language
Is Tnma?"
Moh surprisingly, pointed to the big mango
tree outside the store
She stop last night" he said
Ihen wasn't dreaming" unused the trader
"Where is She?"
Nv ny' answered Mbh, banging his
broom On the edge of tho unrs,,.as e -