Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

THE GOLD-DUST RAJAH. extended to either end of the hut, and cov- ered, as it was, by a new attap roof made from palms, extended a comfortably slant- ing, wide, well-made flight of stairs. Lansdell did not follow the Malays. Standing with his back to the river, with a few Dyaks clustered about him, he looked after Barker, and the brown of his face took on a tinge of red. “ Cheek!” he said aloud. ‘‘ Doesn’t in- tend to ask favors, but take them.”” Then, with a laugh and a shrug, ‘I doubt if it’s done for Marcia’s benefit. I fancy the man doesn’t even know what's decent under the circumstance.” Wray and his niece were already in the wake of the carriers. Lansdell came on behind. After him came trooping the Dyaks, chattering noisily, gesticulating. But at his side walked one who did not speak, but watched him questioningly. When the line of carriers were ascending the steps to lay their loads on the two short verandas, Lansdell halted on a pretext of lighting a cigarette, and it was then that the Dyak addressed him. This man was vounger than the head- man, who was now planted with an air of importance to one side of Lansdell’s front steps; he was taller, too, and had evidently taken time, when he knew strangers were at hand, to put on such ornaments as would add to his appearance. Against his shoul- ders, hanging down to his collarbone, he wore tin earrings in his elongated ears. About his neck were several strings of beads, scarlet and blue. His arms were bangled, as were his legs. His waistcloth of bright blue matched a cloth that tied back his longish hair, wisps of which stuck out here and there, giving his head a wild and ragged aspect. “Sir,” he began, ‘so many thieves to watch.” “ To-night, Hetdoon,” Lansdell replied, “you and I do not sleep.” At that the brown man’s look changed. There was a guttural assent, a flash of the eyes that told plainly how well satished he was, and he turned aside toward one of the few but large houses which composed the village. Lansdell started nomeward once more, strolling among the numerous head- 813 Stones which here marked the graves of the Rkampong’s dead-and-gone headmen. Near the foot of his own stairs he halted again, hemmed in by scores of Dyaks who gazed upward, fascinated by all the signs of wealth and plenty, by the faces of the new white people, by the sight of the strange articles which the Malays were lay- ing out in neat array on those side verandas —sult cases, traveling bags, cases of bottled water, and well-wrapped packages of every shape and size. As the Malays came swiftly back down the staircase, shaking the whole house with their pattering bare feet, Lansdell took a careful look at them. They did not seem to be of pure Malay blood. Here and there were plain evidences of a mixture—white, or Dyak, or Chinese. That the Dyaks shared the opinion of Hetdoon concerning them, Lansdell saw, for the men of the kampong stood aside as the paddlers start- ed riverward again, watching them silently, sometimes murmuring a word to right or left. “Thieves is the word,” Lansdell told himself. ‘“ These must all be ex-convict friends of our gentleman, Barker!’ The thought amused him, but only for a mo- ment, for next he remembered that the safety of Marcia Oldham depended upon them. ‘They must go back from here,” he added. ‘‘ And I’ll go with them.” ‘*Come up and have one of vour own chairs, Lansdell,” called out Wrav. As he leaned over a low bamboo balus- trade to look down at his host, a second face appeared beside his. It was the face of a young Dyak—Lansdell’s house serv- ant. A scarlet head cloth bound his fore- head, keeping back the wirv hair from a countenance that was almost pale. ‘Sir, must come,” pleaded the servant, speaking in his own tongue. ‘ The vellow man wearing a twisted tail down from his head just now drives out Tomon.” Lansdell laughed, and hurried up the Stairs. Evidently Marcia’s Chinese boy was taking over the culinarv quarters, and Tomon was both frightened and insulted. When explanations had been made, Lansdell joined Wray on the front veranda. The latter, finding himself so comfortable An (CO) GIOok