Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

THE GOLD-DUST RAJAH. “there's something I want to say to vou that I don’t want them to hear.” ‘“You’ve got some news—from home.” “Yes, Philip, that awfully sad thing that happened before vou left and came down here—it’s all cleared up, Philip, and settled, and your friends — everybody, in fact—understand how it all was, and what you suffered, and that you weren’t in the least to blame, but that you acted so hon- orably, and—”’ He turned away his face to look up river. “Tt’s too bad,” he said, with a touch of bitterness, ‘‘ that they didn’t believe what I told them when I was there—those friends of mine.” “Yes, it is too bad,” she agreed. ‘It makes you bitter, doesn’t it? But, please don't look like that!” He looked back at her, smiling once more. ‘‘ We'll forget it, eh?” “Try to remember that they honor you,” she pleaded. ‘“ Especially for just keeping quiet, when you might have told a lot, and also for not striking back when you could have, you know.” “Don’t I know!” he rejoined. ‘“ And I’ll try not to be bitter. Just yet, though, 1 can’t shake off the disappointment I feel. Later. maybe I can. But, Marcia, I’ve found out during this trouble of mine that one of the hardest things in the world is to survive disappointment in some one you've cared a lot for.” She nodded, sympathetically and under- standingly. “I'm sure that’s so. Ive never been disappointed like that, but it must be hard. You trusted those people, and they wronged you — horribly. But, you know, don’t you, Philip, that there are some people left in the world who aren't treacherous?” ‘Sure! Sure! And now I want you to forget my troubles and tell me some more news.” “Not while youre ankle deep in the river.” “Tike it! All I can think of is the luck I've played in to-day! Your finding the way up this Borneo river, and stopping like this, and—but, by the way, did you have a reason for stopping? Where’s your uncle? And can I be of service?” 809 “I’m sure you can. We've stopped to pick up a white man—to hire him, that is —for the remainder of our trip up the river.” “ A white man here?” puzzled. “ You must know about him,” she con- tinued. ‘It seems, according to what Mr. Barker told uncle—MAIr. Barker is with us, you see, and got the boats and the men and so on for us—it seems that this man has sort of buried himself alive in the jungles up here because he’s been in trouble wher- ever he carne from, and is afraid of being arrested.” “I see.” There was a curious gleam in Lansdell’s blue eyes. ‘IT suppose,” she said confidently, ‘‘ that you identify the man he means now. It's a man who's famous for the way he under- stands Dvaks of all shades and sizes ’— she smiled at that — “and the way the Dyaks understand him. At other kam- pongs higher up, Mr. Barker thinks this man will be invaluable in helping us to see everything there is to see.” “ This Mr. Barker didn't give you the man's name?” “ The fact is, I’ve got it all through uncle ——Just to-day, as we were on our way up. Uncle says this white man is from the China coast.” “ Hm-m-m-m!”? Once more Lansdell was half turned away, silent and thought- ful. Lansdell looked “Are there several men here?” she asked, puzzled by his silence. He did not reply to that. “ This Mr. Barker,” he said, “is he some one who’s come all the way with you?” “Oh, no. We met him at Macassar. He showed us all about, and was so good- natured and useful that uncle thought it ‘d help us see everything we want to see if we’d take him along. He’s not what you’d call personally attractive—at least J don’t think so—but uncle likes him immensely.” ““T see. He knows Borneo? I mean, how did you come to get up this far on this coast?” ‘“At Macassar he told us about Ranjar- masin, and that we oughtn’t to miss it. Wed arranged to go to Sandakan with (CO) MICLOOOL