Evening star., 1938-01-31
CHAPTER I.

haired man sitting at a paper-clut.
tered desk glared at him.
We'll" he growled. What dc
you want?"
Pearson reflected that Douglas
MacCauley was a very unpleasant In
dlvidual The packets in" he re-
piled by way of explaining his intru-
sion. Il thought that you'd like to
know"
Thanks" MacCauley said sarcas-
tically, "Of course. I can't see the
lagoon through the windows OF this
rotten dump Nice of you to take
the trouble to inform me what
going on"
The slim young American flushed
beneath the sheltering shadow Of his
pith helmet. Blast the swine! TAX
Ing advantage of his position to
WELD the whip of his rotten tenn
per. Sorry" he remarked diffident-
ly. Il figured that you were too busy
Is notice"
MacCauley glanced out at the sea,
where the weather beaten two mas
ter. the Celebes, was standing, into
the coral-locked harbor You may
as we'll come along" he said, picking
up his helmet and buttoning his
shirt. Its cinch you won't get
any more work done today You
never do when there's news to be
cleaned from the rats who come on
the schooner" He was utterly in
different to the compressed lips and
Se NC -, e$a
man didn't like what Douglas Mac
Cauley said or did he was welcome
70 try to reform him by physical
force. Many had tried, none had
ucceeded. Pearson went quietly
BY the time they reached the pal
mettp slip of the Jones -MacCauley
Exporting Co. the Celebes was tied
alongside and 1.-THE brown men we're
working about her open holds. Mac
Cauley went aboard to have a drink
with the captain while Pearson SUI
pervised the unloading of supplies
and heard the latest gossip of the
world outside Timora.
Capt. Roche was a stout. stocky
sailor who had seen and forgotten
every island In the Pacific. He had
carried cargoes to and from Tirlora
ever since the company had been
founded, but long acquaintance had
Not made him overly fond of the
Neavy fisted partner who was boss
on the island.
MacCauley got down to business
after first noticing that there wasn't
a white man on deck Well" where's
my new accountant, Rocke?" He
followed the rolling gait of the sea-
man into a tiny after cabin. "Or
didn't you bring the lad along?"
Il did," Roche replied. uncorking
- bottle of Scotch whisky. and I
Adr't. How do you want yours,
with or Without"
Without" MacCauley answered,
and gulped down the straight liquor.
What do you mean, you did and
you didn't?'"
Roche looked strangely at his drink
ing comps nion. Il never would have
thought that you'd do anything like
this" He gestured TO Malay
standing in the cabinWay. and the
brown figure vanished.
What's the matter with you?"
facCauley asked suspiciously. pour
4ng himself another whisky.
Innocent. aren't YOU? You black
bearded fox!" Capt. Roche pointed
at the door. your new helper"
MacCauley swung about In his chair
to glare at the newcomer for his
tardiness in appearing. and. seeing
the individual standing beneath the
unvarnished stoop, leaped out of his
chair.
"Hells fire!" he roared. "A grill"
Denise Hampden coolly looked at
the infuriated man and smiled. 1t
you'd have been patiently useless to
deny her sex. The lines of her trim.
youthful body showed through the
soft linen of her white suit. and even
Capt. Roche could see that she was
~ pretty, blond, perfectly nodded girl,
Yes" she replied 1T really isn't
90 startling"
The calmness of her voice was a
triumph over the pounding of her
racing blood. What If this sneering
hulk made her 60 back? That agent
A1 San Francisco had been easy
enough to get by. A test to deter
mine her efficiency in bookkeeping,
and then a supper engagement to
ease his conscience But I'm not
80 sure that you should co." he had
said. Black Mac is a devil when
he's angry" 1t had been simple
enough getting to Tinora, the prob
lem nov was to stay
MacCauley completely ignored her
"Listen." he rasped grirnly. taking
the sailor by the lapels of his coat
Who put you up to this?' His
strong fingers threatened to sink into
the fat throat and halt the air that
,klbbled through the passage.
! Denise shrank back against the
wall of the cabin, frightened yet
fascinated by the scene There was
something terrifying about the earnest
clutch of those capable tan fingers;
something elemental, raw, primitive.
She thought of those hands reaching
for her. and the ease with which they
could bruise and batter her soft flesh
Her breath shortened.
Take your hands of my coat"
Roche said.
The big man perceived the threat
that lay under the calm of the speech.
Roche no doubt held all the cards;
man doesn't spend 80 years at sea
without learning how to protect him.
self. and do 1t with the least effort
I and annoyance. "All right" Mac
Cauley said roughly, letting his hands
fall to his side. Spill it."
Behind him, wiry Malay took
sensitive, slender fingers from the
polished handle of razor-edged
knife, keen eyes riveted on the back
II MacCauley's neck.
There isn't much to say" Roche
said. II was contracted TO bring one
Hampden along with the supplies.
I did as I was told. The rest Is up
to you. And. may as well add. I
dislike dishonest man as much as
dfsnixA n nonr liar"