Evening star., 1941-06-01
THIS WEEK MAGAZINE

THIS WEEK MAGAZINE
the hatch folded, staring at her. A handsome boy!
Only year two older than herself golden-fair with
tache like the down chickens back And how SILENT Could
it be possible that he was deaf and dumb?
What's your name?" she asked him.
In low, hoarse voice he answered 81 don't know"
Don't know!'
Il don't know anything Not since He touched the
side of his head
Had accident?'
An accident he repeated mechanically He dropped his
head his hands and staring her Suddenly he said
almost harshly, 60 home!'
II can't"
This $ bad ship Better go home. You - like flower"
His blue stared between the bars of his folded hands
Emerald felt her heart melt within her Something had hap
pened to his mind surely he did belong ship manned
by evil cripples he who at all events cripple!
The spectaced who seemed despite his black glasses
to and note than anyone ese looked around Get
to your bnk he shouted and the youth slowly Before
he turned away from Emerald and sank down the companion
way he uttered single word Emerald whmpered, NO. nor
and the youth said, "Yes!' and gone.
Heavens said the girl seadyng herself against the slight
roll of the ship anchor 1T can't be true! But if s would
explain -"
The grayhaired approached Il suppose you know all
about the gold whatist? he eered Needn't think we're
going to trust them to bring everything Well go and check
it, and if they hold U.S. why we've got treasure board
haven't we?" He gnned, and Emerald felt her heart
turn her hands, in all the heat grew cold But she kept
silence
Humpy left to guard her when the lame the specaced
and the elderly went ashore Hmpy seemed to be less
cautious perhaps SOBER than the Others he stood watch
ing them vaguely chewing tobacco and splitting the bull
warks while he muttered to himself Emerald could make
little of his muttengs they seemed concerned with the great
white beaches of Mita the beaches that her brother and Mr.
Meampey had criticized for taking up nearly all the island and
making their daily task of digging difficult.
Humpy didn't like them either he cursed them roundly.
I wa mt for them blasted beaches he sad addressing the
landscape general wed have time to her here and
clean her. He bit his dirty nails with his dirty teeth; he
seemed Emerald thought to be in hurry which she couldn't
account for.
! HE afternoon waning
Down the beaches the long white beaches of Metak that
barren and deserted because almost all sand the
three rough strangers followed Gong and Melampey Pen
ced shadows from Meita palms danced the blue white
surface of the Shore fish eaped the lagoon with sound like
distant shots why did you leave those guns behind at Mani
hi?" mouned the gray again. And again the other
answered angriy, Them guns they wasn't worth lives
was hey? Melampey ground his teeth Pirates pirates
he'd have corrected their grammar for two pins.
AT the end of the first long beach there pile of
toed coral rocks which convovuus vines had
nets of leaf and flower Gossng drew aside of ceepe
''You go in" he said
There rude beyond the eepers and in the
pile of sugar bags, filled with something edgy and irregular
Can smoker? Meampey asked and lit cigarette Drawing
on it, he said Il told you there wasn't reef wash gold here
There isn't. You can see what we've found"
The lame kept guard outside while the other
The specaced kicked one of the bags and from
sound sweeer than chime of evening the ring of gold
The lame gave joyful wfoop and rushed join the
Others They tore the bags open In the low weerng light
they spilled the sand what seemed to be of little
round plaques of heavy gltterng god engraved with
a high, elaborate device
Creepers said the gray painting, 'ts Spanish
- douboons!'
Excuse me- MIR. Melampey objected You're quite in
those American double eagles originally worth
twenty dollars each. At the present of exchange