Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 189: what you’re looking at

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

THE THRALDOM OF SINGAN “He wasn’t there when we went to bed,” said Charles, “‘before I put out the lights. I’d swear to that.” “No,” said Eade. “It was when we were waiting for him, pretending to be asleéep—and I don’t mind confessing I was just about as nervous as I’ve ever been in my life—that that snake got him, and.made a better and a quicker job of it, Charles, than you and I would have done.” HE FOLLOWING DAY, the evi- dence given by Mr. Eugene Pai bore out the truth of Eade’s conclusions. Pai declared that at about midday the day before he had been out on the bungalow road. He had seen Madame Scala break from the jungle, exchange a few words with a Chinese coolie on the pineapple plantation and then make straight for Cartwright’s bungalow. He had thought he had recognized her, though he could scarcely credit his eyes. A European lady, so scantily attired, who staggered as if she had reached the last stage of physical exhaustion, was an object quite sufficient in itself to arouse his curiosity. He had followed her to the bungalow, where he had waited outside until Cart- wright himself returned. By then, he had made. quite sure that it really was the lady he had known in Singan. He had heard Cartwright say that he was going to take her to Headley’s; and when the coast was clear he had gone into the 183 bungalow to try to find out what he could from Ah Yen. He had been startled by a voice that he recognized at once. When he was on the veranda, he had seen Liu Tang’s face up above him, at the point where the attap roof crossed the outer wall. And Liu Tang had told him exactly what he had to do: He was to take a canoe and go downstream, and sooner or later he was bound to come across Scala, to whom he was to give the news that Liu Tang had been too late that morning to do the job that had brought him to Nolak. But the thing would be done all right that night. Tt was of the utmost importance that he, Eugene Pai, should tell Scala that madame had been placed in the charge of the wife of the manager of. the estate. When he had heard the evidence, Headley looked across at Eade and laughed. “Looks as if we’ve got to thank that snake for a lot,”’ said he. “At the same time, Charles, you'll have to pull out that canvas ceiling to get rid of the brute. A wildcat’s preferable.” And by way of explaining the matter to Eade, he added. “In this part of the world, sir, you’ve got to have one or the other. It’s a choice be- tween two evils. That’s how we live out here.” “Seems to me,” said John Eade, “that on occassions there’re more than two evils to choose from.” “Maybe you're right,’ Headley laughed, and then shouted for stingers. comicloooks.com