Evening star., 1939-06-04

1t came from the house of Corbal one of
three white men who lived up the karari
longest and least known of Papuan rivers
He had travelled there years ago, prospecting
for gold, had found none but had stayed on,
shared by the lure of wild places. Joe Sande-
man, Assistant Resident Magistrate, was the
second white man. l. Arthur Dane, patrol
officer, was the third
Sandeman was having whisky on my
veranda The native boy, who had just
brought the whisky in all but dropped the
bottle when he heard the peeps and squeaks
in Corbals house. little way down the road.
Split" he cried, and fled to the kitchen
said: They think those noises are the
talk of the departed souls They think that
Corbal can call them into his house Quaint,
isn't it,"
Sandeman took drink and set down his
glass determinedly. The less you worry
about those things or about Corbal," he said,
the better. Some people have strong heads,
and some haven't" He thought | was too
much inclined to go off the deep end in the
mysteries and mazes of native custom.
'Of course know it's ventriloquism,'
| said
1t was queer night; black as a black
snakes back; mosquitoes raging outside;
crocodiles, down in the river, believing like
the ghosts of dead and drowned bullocks.
Papua was showing her ugly side.
Sandeman lit his pipe; his hard face showed
red in the glare of the match. | wondered if |
should ever be as good an officer; ever as
worthy to belong to the famous Service He
might be hard, but he was efficient; if fever,
or native spears, or river rapids didn't get
him first, he was sure to rise. He said quite
suddenly, dropping the previous subject:
This is no place for girl, but -"
What cried. What girl? Whose"
Nine said the ARM, taking a long
suck at his pipe. Coming here to marry me,
next boat. I've no leave due this good while;
so she said to me - bless her -" He drew
at the pipe again; didn't tell me what she
had said
'Whens the boat" asked, bit excitedly
Sandeman answered, You ought to know
that. Bad thing to let 60 your dates That's
the beginning He didn't enlarge on what he
meant but went on Due in ten days. Three
days up the river, with the parson. You and
Corbal as witnesses.
Congratulations hope you'll be happy"
Isabel" he said, with a note in his voice
that was new to me - musical almost, one
might have called it, if anyone but rough
and tough Sandeman had been in question
Isabel would make anyone happy. And"
he added after second, as if he had been
thinking the matter over, she's going to be
happy herself I'll see to that"
You can't order girl to be happy, l
thought Maybe was jealous. 1t seemed to
me that beautiful girls like Isabel q was sure
she was beautifully ought not to be given to
moon-faced, almost middle-aged ARMS.
said something like that to Corbal,
when he joined me later in the evening. al
ways told everything l thought to Corba;
he was deep we'll of a man, who never
tattled, and you could say anything to him.
even asked him what he was doing with bats
inside his house, and he answered, Cant
keep them out" and that seemed sensible
enough at the time. Afterwards. though,
thought it did not fit bats never came into
my house, or if they did, did not stay.
Corbal evidently knew about the marriage.
He did not say much; he sat listening to me
and looking at nothing. An odd figure he was,
all legs and arms, lean and aeshess where's
Sandeman now?" he asked.