Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

LITTLE DARK SHIPS. ‘his mina to finish his woes on this clean Strip of beach. There would be no going back to Malanga jail. He was going to fight, and that would mean a speedy close to his young life. The bloodhounds and the black tracker would kill him like a hare. The Chinaman’s glance settled on the ~ ‘unsullied alligator hide, pegged out in front of the hut. He gestured frantically to Chard. “'VYo’ keep your feet in the water, an’ walk along to creek. Savvy? Quick; along creek, yo’ heah?”’ 3 ‘Chard met his glance and saw: something of the death comedy in his soft, slant eyes. But Chard obeyed. Kum Ling dragged the big, twelve-foot hide through the rotting grass until the darkness of the mangroves was reached. Chard waded thigh deep through the mud and reeds, and then halted, watching the. Chinaman with fierce, questing eyes. Two hundred yards away, in the bhutang scrub, the short-clipped voice of the police commissioner was heard, rating the black tracker. from the scrub and ran in the direction of the hut. ie down!” the Chinaman commanded Chard. — an this filthy mush?” the jail breaker objected, squirming at the thought of the viscid horrors that lurked underfoot. “Tie down!” the Chinaman insisted. “Me chuck this skin ovah yo’! Maybe they pass it by. Maybe not. Allee same yo’ get one chance foh your life. . Lie down!” In a flash Chard ridertad Flinging “himself down in the mud, he allowed the Chinaman to stretch the skin of the bull alligator over him. Very carefully Kum Ling folded the pliant hide about Chard’s supple limbs, adjusting the head and throat : piece with the skill of a taxidermist. Then he paused to scrutinize the effect of his work. Within the gloom of the mangrove swamp it would have been diffi- cult for an inexperienced onlooker to single -out the skin from the network of roots that _ enmeshed it. Vie still, boy! The black tracker man a is s Motuan. _ “He worship ee allee same _ The two bloodhounds: thrashed — as Chinaman worship Joss! he chuckled. “Tracker no disturb yo’ unless—” “That damned white commissioner and== == his dogs dig me out!” came in muffled tones “T'll lie still enough. Here from the hide. they come! Get!” A pair of bloodhounds loped through the hut door and remained sniffing and pant- ing, their jowls adrip. Kum Ling stirred the coffee in the iron pot over the fire. He — was about to add a pinch of salt to the bub- bling brown mass in the pot, when his glance shifted to the clean cut figure of Commissioner Lester in the doorway. Ling dropped the salt into the coffee and | = wiped his fingers on his neckcloth. Then he salaamed obsequiously. The young commissioner of police ob- served him casually, and then spoke sharp- ly to the intruding hounds. Instantly they ran out into the open to join the flat-browed ‘Native tracker skulking in the shadows of =~ a bunya palm. Lester was in his thirtieth year; his saddle-brown skin spoke of his restless campaigns against the lawless black __ and white men who clung to the forests and rivers with apelike tenacity. — 931 His face marked him as a haneteatan a = Se with a flair for order and settlement. In the senate of the commonwealth his name stood for square dealing and justice. es == = elanced around the hut and nodded to the _ = expectant Ling. “Plenty alligators in the creek, Kum!” SS “By and by you'll be bring- ing your family to help in the daily work, ——— he added encouraginely. = The Chinaman’s head wagged like a he greeted. spring-fitted image at Lester’s genial fe- marks. “ Yes, sah, I bring um “lle Ling boys to help catchum alligator. one big fool, sah, to fuss round um light. In goes his ‘silly. head. Click, clack goes = the “knife under his neck when he pulls away. | knife. added with Celestial custo. ~ Lester was not the man to ask questions = His searching eyes ranged the creek banks, the beach, ~ and the flat, foot-beaten tracks around the = about escaped prisoners. hut. LI Alligator : = Harder him pull, harder goes the — = ~My word him one dam fool!” he —- The ‘bloodhounds had foined the native = 208 S bee Ss com z= =: we — os i NAR) ANY f\ ) st) ay PA OVER ANS watt