The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-03-03
Chapter 81
A Woman's Tears

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EVEN If we destroyed the Ma
IL lays, we would be so badly cut
up that the Dyaks, unable to fore
go crippled ship, woulc probably
swarm over Us as an afterthought
We would be easy for them. tEsen-
And there was another bad
chance. The Malays might split
forces, and some Of the praus at
tack Christine's AVN, which they
should take readily. The Singa-
pore Malays who manned the
Avon would fight wei. but there
were not enough of them Worse
yet, MantuSen's krismen might
concentrate upon the Avon. This
would be good idea, and Mantu-
sen was smart enough t. think Of
It. He would probably think that
if he had the Avon he could take
the Linkang next, and he might
be right, because the Linkang
could not leave the Avon and run
for il while any Of the Avon's
people remained alive.
I did not doubt any o. this. Like
Clyde, could not understand why
we did not already hear fighting
in the river It is not like Malays
to delay. They love action, and the
kriswork Of close fighting; i Is the
waiting that they hate.
One thing might be a factor,
though, that Clyde had ret counted
on HChristine Forester was right
about the strength of her fathers
Tenyalang rifiemen. that river was
not going to be easy to force. per-
haps il could not be forced at all.
The praus would move fast, but
they could not OUTRAGE runners on
shore Every rife of the Tenyalang
would fire into ne praus over and
over again Clyde's own testimony
to their Workmanship suggested
that very few shots would be
vested at close range.
] kept trying to break in On
Clyde long enough to tell him what
Christine had said abou. the Ten
yalang. It was not easy &c do. but
got his attention. temporarily. al
last.
Look. Look here, sir. | think
I've found out something that
may be important"
II was extremely difficult for me
to find words. Something which
seems fairly reasonable when you
hear it in full detail can sound
empty and silly when you try to
report Il IN few quick sentences.
Il seems we misiudged this
Anthony Forester, sir. Il seems
that he did bring those Avon guns
here-it wasn't MS sons idea, nor
his daughters. but his own. The
Avon was loaded before ne died
And more than that AL the time
he pretended to oe puttering
around. collecting Oyak beads and
the ike, he was talking them up
into this war. And Il seems that
he taught a bunch of them to shoot
that's why some of them can
shoot out lamp. The girl claims
he organized a string of gun clubs.
up-eountry-
"Gun ciubsls my uncle ex-
ploded. what kind Of trash IS
thisgp
CIyde's Disbelief
I DON'T think he would have lis
4 tened at all If I ha1 not been
sewing his back. But as / got
around 70 the part about the Ten
yalang societies. and the religious
ceremonies that went with the
guns, found that he was listening
He was lying chest down, but he
was studying me over his shoulder.
and he listened for some time after
] had expected him to cut me OF
Maybe that could De done. he
said at last / saw now that he had
perceived reasons for being uncer-
tain. IF it's true-or even any con-
siderable part of it'll was fooled
a million miles BY old Forester"
DO you believe it," | asked him
outright.
NO" he said in a puzzled way.
y don't The whole thing looks
like another mares nest. Il sounds
to me as II the girl made Il up as
she went aiong-maybe because
she wants 20 get something cut o.
u.s. or, more likely. Just TO impress
you"
But what about the sharpshoot-
er that put out the light7"
There may be only one man
who can shoot like that Maybe he
used 10 be gun bearer for some
body who taught him-maybe old
Forester. for all / know. But 800
Of them-paul. that's too muchl
But what about the gold horn
hili9p
We'll, we knew she was lighter
ing guns. Probably she gets some
thing extra for tyin. brass bird
On the gun-how should / kncwf
] admit there's hare possibility
that old Forester had me fooled.