Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 159: what you’re looking at

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

THE THRALDOM OF SINGAN “And who is she?” “Wife of Battista Scala, mister; the daughter of Bernard Le Camus.” “Is this Battista Scala still alive?” Quental shrugged his shoulders. “May be, mister; may not be. In a place like Singan, a man may die any minute—when there ’re ver’ many who wisha him dead.” “And what do all these people do, on an island away out in the Macassar Straits?” The captain leered, as if to give the sug- gestion that he was no such fool as his interrogator thought him. “I know better than to say that,” said he. “I no ask your business, mister. I think best I know nothing about what happen in Singan, savvy?” Eade was silent a moment. He had already found out more than he had ex- pected, and realized the advisability of not appearing merely inquisitive. For a few moments he considered possibilities. “Come, tell me,” he asked, “did you ever come across a man in Singan of the name of Charles Cartwright?” *’Course, mister,” said the other. “That man the bottom of all the dam’ trouble. We gotta him away, when Scala want his blood. I no go back there after that. I gotta more dam’ sense.” “Did any one else help Cartwright to escape?” “Yes. Madame Scala. I betta Liu Tang come "board my ship killa me and try find Cartwright.” At that John Eade received some- thing in the nature of a shock. “Do you know,” he exclaimed, “that Charles Cartwright—who is my cousin— is up at Nolak now?” Quental looked up quickly. “So, mister!” said he, appearing more or less unconcerned. ‘Then he good as dead man already.”” And then the recol- lection of his own narrow escape caused him to shiver. ‘““Thank God I locka my door!’ he exclaimed. “‘Lui Tang couldn’t get in my cabin. I think he gotta very little time to spare. That’s why he make throw the knife through porthole.” 153 “And who is this Liu Tang?” asked Eade. “He do alla dirty jobs for Battista Scala,” said Quental. ‘They work to- gether, mister—handa glove, as you say. Nobody care what they do in Singan.” “And who’s the other man you men- tioned?” Eade went on with his question- * ing. ‘You spoke of a certain Bernard Le Camus as being Madame Scala’s father. What’s his business on this out of the way island?” Quental held up a dirty thumb, and then pointed it downward to the deck, after the manner of a spectator in a Roman amphitheater. “Scala gotta Le Camus just like that,” said he. ‘Yes, mister. Old man can do nothing. They drugga him; all time he smoka opium. He’s frightened of Scala same like everybody else. Battista Scala ver’ handsome, ver’ strong, big man. Ver’ fond women—all kinds, yes. But he much love his wife, and she no afraid of him. I seen that, mister, plenty time.” “Anyway,” suggested Eade, “looks as if she has run away from her husband now?” “May be,” said the other. “I think she kinda caught on to this Cartwright. He never gotta away from Singan, mister, if it no been for Madame Scala. Scala savvy that. That’s why Liu Tang come after. her and Cartwright.” 3 ADE sighed. On the face of things, it looked as if he would never set on his cousin alive.. At any rate, if anything could be done to save Charles, there was no time to waste; it was a dead sure thing that the Chinese had gone overboard into the jungle. “Well, Captain Quental,” said he, “I’m much obliged to you for your con- fidence. You and I ought to work to- gether. I may tell you that, if you can do anything to save my cousin’s life you'll not regret it. I came out here specially to find him.” “T no think you will,”’ said the Portu- guese, with a degree of finality that was - connie oolkks.conn