WITH LINKS OF STEEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 16, 19 January 1914, Page 10

WITH LINKS OF STEEL.

By JOHN K. PROTHERO, .'AuiJujr of '.'A.n Eye for on Eyef' "A -Strong Man Armed," "Apples of "''The Gambleref' ''Thir.ioage otZfivmmoit£ "TheSWPIf of^Tnat^ressors,' , e«£S

STXOr&IS~OF-iPRETIOt'S 'GTIAPTEKS.j j ' Chapters I. nnd ll.—The firm of Grim- J Shaw and Carl.vn have derided to dispatch ' Hugh buster a votuis man in their em- £ ploy, on :i mission to West Afrira. They , flisrnsH the .situation with him. and wiirn him to beware of Monty Savil<\ n youns • man who hiiu: beeir in theif employ out c tiere. I nit who. on being represented to j his firm as a drunkard and a wastrel, had , Ucen dismissed from his position." Ilusli J Foster is enjoined to locate and ulitnln * possession of a. certain sold mine, either t .iii or in the neighbourhood of territory , belonging to Grimshaw and Carlyn. FoetiT is; promised a partnership in the, lirin iC ho fulfils his employers' ilesires. He also wnnts the hand of lariyii's ilaujjliter 111 ijiarriase. Hugh l-'oster is not loveil. by hie fellow clerks, and (loos not hide his ferlinss com-ernins them. The senior i-lcrk. Thomson, sires a message from t-bpin all for Monty Savile. Jluirb ropm to <"flr!yn's house iv OonrinuVbt Sqiiun , . wherr IJolores receives him. lie liegins to make love, but she checks him, but promises that when he returns from Africa he may say what he likes. Late itm night Dolores prays that the man to ithom she has given her heart may be sent hack to her. This is Montr Sarile. ifie on.- who has the secn-r of the sold mine in his -keeping. CIIAPTER-ni.— THE MAX WITH THE EAGLE EYES. -iHujrh Foster's calm confidence in hits own capacity remained unruflled during tii'e voyage. withstood the effects of ihKnding- heat, teasing flies and tropical discomforts, and survived the genial mendarity- and lazy incompetence of .lo c Seba.=tien. The ajrent of Grimshaw and Carlyn at t-h c =un-haked little port of Masha-me. as revealed by hi> to the Ixjndou office, beautifuly written, ca-refully composed, was a pereon of business capacity and polished politeness. is he stood at_ the quay in «i suii, of soiled white duck*:, his sombrero gniily aslant. a beard on hw chin, bis yellow fingers stained with tobacco. JFoster. immaculate in grey flannels and a Panama, felt a s-hock.- -ftwns difficult to>-reconcile this dusky brave with the courteous polished Spaniard referred to by. old John. . But, then. Hugh found it difiicult to reconcile Mashame, the natives. Africa itself, with preconceived ideas. There was a squalor about the settlement, an iinlifTerence in the Europeans, sullen resentment among the natives that the precise young Englishman was not prepared'fur. He faced the Stuation steadily, recast his expectations, and decided that. aIL things considered, it was to hi* advantage that Sebastien was lazy and in£i>ntpetent—Jiis own aeumea and resdnrees would gain by contrast. He had all the optimism and vanity of youth, and judged by surface value only. Sebastien was too fond of drink; lived air idle slothful life. He summed the man up in j minute, and was injudicious enough to mention his opinion to a certain hilf-breed trader in ivory and rubber. The half;breed;. listened gravely, and answered deliberately. ; •" is a- great man—none greater onthe coast, save a whites man from England. He went up-couritry. three.- four Tekis ago.; The natives know him.". "What's the chap's name?"' asked Foster, when he had finished smiling at the l*«nli;breed's estimate cif.^oje,., , , , ~ iTfe-dftrlJ-faeeHit-Tip.- -The" iaah mhde a curious-.-half-reverent gesture of his b;Trc head. "In English — he i= called Monty Savile." Foster looked np._- ~ " The devil-!" ami frowned. — «■ • ™- — "* The-*manl¥ he—said. " drink* like a fis-h. I never heard of such absurdity. Here. Sehastien. this chap is telling m c SavHe'e a greatman in this country." ~ r' ~ " '„* i The Spaniard came out 5f his eUStntyi: a hut built of ajjttbe with s~ wide ferandah. t: Savile." he-said is "He's a knave!" was the quick retort. Sebastien drew him into the sittingroom with its walls and ■bamboo furniture. "My friend." he sa-id- in his slow and flexible voice, "it Ts riot well to speak against a white. a half-breed.' , ''But then Sayile's -such a low down 6ort of cus»! "He ecCUat,?' The Spaniard shrugged his shoulders. He glanced at the fair-haired Englishman with a -touch of-m-alice in his dark soft eyes. „ This sqtrare-faced - young fellow irritated was 'so.' foolish, so traitsparefit, conceit.' Now, Savile had of toil and trouble to ontwit. -There were moments even now when Jose had a troubled suspicion he was not quite outwitted yet. Sebastien did not ruffle .however, and'listened gravely tpltis arrangements. He-learnt with-amusement-that Foster intended to secure the Company concessions, to develop their trade and open tip the country. A certain instinct kept Foster frotn;,"menti<Jning_ the gold mine/ and natural reserve prevented open -discussion thevdetail of his pl-an>.-Hugh ached to be up and doing, to leave the lazy, dirty, little port, and plungp into the wilderness of jungle, swamp, and trackless forests. Sebastien made a show of assistance, engaged natives for-the march, oiii a map "of tEie "."Company's - coticessions-VBiit the men.The; Spaniard jehosKdid nopmpre=s"Suglr ,- He;'..wasr;a ggad of, horse-flesh, and the' instimrt him properly to appraise a nag made him reject the niggers of hang-dog aspect, with =ore eyes and bandy leg 3, ranged for his selection. He organised the expedition with a quickness tand^capacity"ltEil -jmpfessed Seba'sifen. "There" was 'power in "the large blue eye. the firm mouth, and broad white forehead. Hugh Foster's' character was developing in the rank climate of West Africa where all thing 3 grow apace. ._"__' •■•-•■ He wrote a long letter to Dolores on the- and-bearing-ill niinMieY- laention'-'hlW-he 2id -anil "whom" lie-jnet'." IfHe;<E'- i Frx pages with laborious ilr.tail, redeemed by v frank outburst of love and longing «t the end. The girl read vthe letter eagerly, and pilt.U from her with a sigh, llonty's nanic \*iis" notcniEntioHed~throinihout."; and 'the rest* ■was i- tb"heT~a-"matter "of' unimportance: r^T.-->--—- _-- — For the first three days he journeyed by water. The canoes, urged on by the Bwifi paddles of the natives, were under the direction of. the half-breed- trader, who rejoiefd in the name of 'Bartholo; mew. He a silent and moro3eman, but clever m river and in- wood craft and handled iis- men. well- * ."**!'. .' " The Aauks bf 'the""riyst, fringed -with" vcgeta:lion. ao\sn_.t o tie -water cd"c, rose sheer: on-either .slue. -The trees grew thickly,, crowded. together ia a P • J2? P l r _^ en -- -There in: those

§gh£, j n tt circle round ~"aiio!' jund in a desperate effort to regain ie path. He would go mad at 1-aet. nd die raving of cool water and a rasant fruitful land, or in the stealthy ldden darkness of the night a creature. : the" forest might "spring at him andake a feast upon his body. And the >rest—-deep. dark, impenetrable—would ;ep the secret of his end and, hiding ie place of his death, blot out his mes. There came to Foster gliding down ie river between the ghostly banks a ■nse of Uttor loneliness. In the midst r the diir!: i-nntinent, amid hostile ibes with unfriendly names, if his en should turn on him he had nothing it his pistol' between him and death, c shivered: ' :■. cold breath came out ' the forest chilling his very bones. That night they stopped at a little nding station. The half-caste in.charze ■ presenting Grinishaw und Carlyn, ;hibited' his account with pride upon s dusky fae?. and pointed with delight .'■ his receipts for rubber-. - - - — The natives looked on. and seemed )wcd down with fear or hunger. It as not a pleasant place. Hagh reembered he had arranged to spend ime days at the station surveying the iblier plantations, inspecting the pro'ess of the work. Bat the stealthy ;mosphere that overhung the station id hold on him. He bade Bartholoew <*et ready early the next morning, id make a quick start. He had learnt in Mashame that native >s?ip located certain precious minerals > the north of the company's con•sisions. He decided to push on to his «tination. and survey no more stations, tie lurking terror of the jungle and te forest sprang at iiis heart. A esh unrest laid hold of him.

They left the river and pushed through the forest. At the end of the second day's march, five days after they had left M.ishame. Bart intimated to his followers that the white chief of the expedition was down with fever. He did not inform Fosterof the fact, but irravety offered quinine, and suggested he should exchange his horse K>r a litter. ... ;:' .J. ' ~., Hu"h was in too much pain to reto=e. He was tilled --villi wonder and-i fierce ra<re at his collapse. He had never known a "day's illness in England since certain Childish ailments. It was incredible he should be knocked over iv this way. ■Africa, ■: ee-emed. was not so peaceful or so lazy after all. He called Bart, and in an excited fashion began to question him how long it would be bciore he reached Koolassn. their destmat.on ••Three days," the half-breed said imPa "-S-U £ o'.dr Hugh raised himself in his litter. . The ;b>ckies swinging j»lops at a » easy trot broke into a aott chant. Their ISIHII "Yoii loiow-tlie spot? - "Vo Tt is a pocret known only to the trite native to the spot. They must not reveal it. They have sworn to till any man who speaks of it.-' "They can be bribed? -, "".. " Agajn and x c i 1 ™; *^ c -§ syllable of the' goltk-n word rang—oufc'-in thebearers' dusky-.chant. -*-~ -»*" — '-'■ "They will not : tell it" to a wSite man. One white nail only d-o "they trust.' , "And he?" ' Bartholomew raised his-v-hand" Th&' bearers stopped their chant, pausing atthe Avord, .and stood strll". as statues," JhP'r t dusky' skins shining like ebony. ;, * "They have said." -Burr stood rifotionless beside the litter.

"The man with the eagle eyes." he interpesed s-hortly. "*CheT seng "of him.'' '"But who is the chap?" Foster grew querulous with pain and impatience. "He is called by b.ls,. people Monty SavUe." .- - - - -

'"By jove—lfonty -again.'' He fell back on his pillow*, and for the rest of the night and day knew nothing, heard nothing, but tho- soft voices-of the bearers, the swaying of the forest trees. It Seemed ttf.him i> wasan a nightmate, chased, 'over fraikljess wastes pa-clrs coolies .urged oh by *tl> e man with the eagle eyes. Sometimes he wondered if he were already dead, and made »i frantic clutch at consciousness. Dolores had told him Africa tc>ok toll from e-very man or woman t-lrere. Was the dark continent going "to take his life?, ■ - ■ The--mine, -the mine, he-rmistn't lose the gold mine! He raved out imprecations, showered" tKreats," " made wild appeals. And ever the dusky blacks tramped on with their slow and easy step, choir low 6c-ft clrant. ... He consciousness to find himself seatedvon the litter deposited upon the gTound. Facing him was Bart—a revolver in his outsrreatclred hand. A couple oJ b:ggirs ehjvercd juet inside the half-breed's range. "What is it.' , Hugh struggled against the lethurgy that weighed upon hisv.Kmbs and brain: "

'The boys liave-;gone— got wind.,of a hostile tribe. Only you and.me and ■these two woolly cheap left.*' He turned the pistol on the blacks. Foster pitched! out or the litter, and dragged himself upright, and tried to walk to where Bart was sitting. "The? gold mine?" he asked in a hojlow,' voice. „ „ .'.-. „;.. ", ,

The half-breed shrugged his shoulders. "Go and find it." he said brusquely, and laughed in a rough jeering fashion that set Hugh's blood on fire.. By nightfall the two blacks crept away under cover of the darkness. Bart desired I greatly to accompany them, but the -strain of white blood" that was in him j&ule !%ni stay.*-. . ... ~-•-. '-.' .""The hostile tribe would be upon them "liny time the next six hours." Bart had six shots to fire before the rush. It .would be ugly. The niggers had a long Standing score to settle with the whites. They "would be no nicer in their methods than certain traders on the coast. The forest to Bart's trained ear was full of pattering feet. The night breeze bore to him the scent of men. He rose a-nd set his back against a tree; dragging Foster behind him—and waited. And then through the woods there crashed a short and sharp report. Again and yet again a repeating rifle snapped out. '.Thus urg-ed, Bar* let go Wβ revolver, joining in the fray-that set his blood afire. ;. ■" '. ; "'Halt!" A clear strong voice saug out. A slim ajid sinewy figure pushed its way to where the two men stood. Bart with fjlea-ming eyes, Foster, roused at fcl&t, -white-faced buA determined.

clearied off. I met your blacks, and brought them back. Who is this!" Hβ glanced at.Foster, turning to Bart. '•& bad "case" of fever, anyway. 1' reekba that -we're only just in time." He put his hand on Foster's annr .Monty's -face, bearded and- brown, looked "up .aTTiim. 33ie quick eves ffished intS SS "■:., ,--- S t tclutched at hig. ' v -._"- ■-• -.' "You're Monty Savile," he shouted. "Monty Savile. * 'Where ie the gold; Where is the go-Id?" (To ibe continued daily.)