Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

116 recognizing the other’s condition, though he was pained to have been misjudged. “‘ That is assured. Sime, you’ll bring up the rear with Kekko and Kalui.” He lowered his voice. “If Parks is inclined to peg out, let them carry him pickaback. Don’t lose any time getting down to the boat. Get them aboard and send the boat back for me. We'll have a fight on our hands, most likely. If there was a hatful of wind we’d get out of here.”’ ‘What are you going to do?’”’ demanded Sime. “Tm going to get their pearls for them. It’s probably the only chance.” As he spoke, McKay began to get into the bird-suit. He waved off the demurrer of Sime, saw the little procession started beachward, and moved out of the trail on to what might be called the plaza of the village. It was a risky proposition. He had nothing with which to stain his feet and ankles. One keen glance at his make-up and he was undone. There was little dust to be kicked up from coral grit to hide their lack of blackness, and he simply had to take the chance. The drums still beat, for one thing, but there was every likelihood of some fussy, over-important priest coming back to escort Ponda, and then the fat would be in the fire. 3 It seemed a mile toward the banyan-tree. He covered it in a slow waltz, with re- versals and long-steps, sidling toward his abjective. Parks had evidently stuffed his pearls inside the skull by breaking down the papery bone-tissues of the eye-sockets be- fore he plugged them and built up the face with clay. It was a shrewd trick, and it made Mc- Kay’s attempt easier. He had had a vision of himself, ridiculous, almost hysterical, waltzing back across the ground with the red, white, and black effigy as a partner, for lack of time in which to break through the tough, willowy boughs that made its framework. Strong as he was, the motion and the heat and smell of his equipment made him dizzy, and he longed to get through with it by snatching the skull, throwing off the disguise, and making a run for it. That THE ARGOSY. would break the tabu, without doubt, and bring priests and village on his heels. As he forced himself to the waltz, gyrat- ing ever closer to the banyan, he wondered whether they had guns in the village. Traders—against the law and all good sense —did, he knew, barter rifles, cartridges, and cartridge belts to the more savage tribes. That these had not yet appeared in Motonui was no sign of their permanent absence. Ponda may have hoped to cajole some from him, knowing that poverty in such things might help his plea. Even the most reck- less of traders hesitated to oversupply the natives. Such weapons were apt to become boomerangs. Cartridges were always scare. There was a general legend current to the effect that they were only used on a white man. Getting ever nearer to his goal, McKay consoled himself with the reflection that the islanders were always wretched shots and knew nothing of raising the sights—could not understand the logic or necessity for such action. He was under the first vertical boughs of the banyan. Unable to see anywhere but ahead, he turned his back on the village and advanced on the demit. Suddenly he realized that the drums had stopped their beating. That might mean anything, noth- ing, everything! He believed it meant that they had stopped their ritual for the arrival of Ponda. Any second they would go to look for him. He reached up his arms, brown enough, but not those of a native, and grabbed the skull of Motonui. He was half blinded with the sweat that poured down his face, and his action forced him to place the ridiculous beak to one side, so that he worked by sense of touch alone. The skull resisted, though he tugged until the whole image swayed elastically on its stilts, and still it resisted him. The grisly thing appeared cemented to the rest. Then reason told him there must be a spike sup- porting the neck, and he lifted and twisted vigorously. Off came the skull. Once he shook the thing and felt, rather than heard, through the mask, something rattle dully inside. He had the pearls. COMmiicooao SS (C©) nn