Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 109: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

eo -<* cars strained for a sound. He could hear his watch tick off the seconds. A minute passed; no sound came. Then he carefully stuck the kris through the split- wattled door just below the wooden latch which fastened it on the inside. Next he « pressed down on the handle of the kris, thus lifting the latch with the blade. The door opened readily, and Crawson stepped in. A lamp was still burning. Parang was stretched on his bed crosswise, dead for the time being, his clothes still on. Crawson’s cigaret had fulfilled its purpose. Another detail of his plan had worked out as cal- culated. This was encouragement. The next step was to find the teak-wood box. He looked about the room. The box was not in sight. The walls of the house were split-wattled bamboo and thatched on the outside; there was no chance of its being hidden there. A thor- ough investigation of the furniture re- vealed nothing, and Crawson grew anxious. That the treasure was somewhere in the room, he was positive, for more than once he had seen Parang carry it there. And he knew that the datto was too well acquainted with Moro nature to have intrusted the box to any one. Still, apparently, his search had already eliminated every possible hiding-place. No; there was one other. Happy thought. Why had it taken so long to come? On his hands and knees Crawson began going over the floor. At last he moved the foot-mat beside Parang’s bed, and there his search ended, A square panel had been cut out of the floor and a sort of trap-door made. Crawson raised the door, lifted out the box and started to leave the room. Then he thought of the six keys. He found them in the pocket of Parang’s tunic. OUTSIDE of the casa Crawson walked to a small, shabby tent:and rapped on the closed flap. A few seconds passed, and then two husky Moros emerged from the tent and saluted in soldier fashion, their bare, bronze shoulders glist- ening under the full moon. These were the white man’s personal servants. “Chow,” ordered Crawson. for two days.” The two servants were accustomed to sudden trips started in the middle of the . They were used to the demand for “Enough ( Rescued with these six-shooters.” _ 99 chow and were always prepared to produce it quickly. Silently the two disappeared and in a few minutes returned with food for a two days’ journey. “To the boats pronto,’’ Crawson ordered and fell in behind them. At the beach Crawson pointed to a large outrigger. The Moros clambered aboard and took their places at the oars. The white man followed, and, as he seated him- self in the stern of the boat, he saw one of the Moros make a slight gesture toward the box. Also, he noted that two were whispering furtively to each other. He wondered if some rumor of the box and its treasure had reached them. It was pos- sible. Yes, even probable. Secrets were hard to keep. Atany rate, it was plain that his servants were suspicious, and Crawson decided that the sooner he asserted himself the better. He whipped out one of his revolvers and said curtly: “T’m leaving this country of yours, and you two may as well know it now as any time. Shove off, and the first one that makes a sound is meat for the sharks.”’ For half an hour the men rowed vigor- ously under the stimulus of the white man’s gun. Then he ordered a halt and called one-of them over to him. ' “Take off that bolo,” he said, ‘“‘and throw it into the sea. Now, have you got any more knives stored away about you?” “No, sefior,’’ answered the Moro, _ “Turn your back,” said Crawson, “and Pll soon find out.” When the man’s ba¢k was turned, Craw- son pressed the muzzle of his revolver against the brown neck just below the ear and with his left hand felt around the waist- band of the fellow’s breech-clout and ae out a wavey little double-edged “T thought so,” said the white man and threw the thing overboard after its larger brother. “Now, go back and take your place at the oar,’’ he ordered. , When the first servant was seated, Craw- son called the other one over and searched him also. “Now,” said Crawson, “if I turn my back for the fifth part of a second, you hombres won't be able to whiz a knife intome. And don’t forget to put some muscle behind them oars. If you do, I might get careless _ ee os 7 — ht a f ve." * _~ ~~ Se. ae 2