"WITH LINKS OF STEEL."

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 17, 20 January 1914, Page 10

"WITH LINKS OF STEEL."

By JOHN X; PROTHEKQ, sS.vt7ior of "Ait- Eye- for3oo SBye? -"A Stmug Man, "The Gamblers," "The Baase-of 3Sumaanf' i "The Way of .Trttiuyt amo;" tato, artc.

THE SPEUU JUNGLtt The strength 'went out "of Fosters arms; he would have "fallen but for Monty's grip. Without a wo rd -Monty put him back into the Ktter, and whistled for the beareTe to ta,ke up the •burden. ''You're noc going, to. take him with you?" the half-tbreed-as-kefl-quieMyr- -^ else, my-friend?" — "He's no good "to you. Kill him while you've the chance." Bart leaned forward, a ravage look in his eyes. The iblack etrain in his blood was uppermost-; his lips tvvitched, his eyes rolled. "Why did you stay with him?" "I couldn't go. I wanted to, but," he faltered half ashamed', "you're different," he eaid. "'Yoirxe a 'white man, too. He means you evil—kill him. See, you need not strike; just -Jeave him here alone. The end will come soon." The dark face of the half-ibreed was eloquent. "He means you iharm, always_he is talking of the gold—the gold. —JLeave; him here, master," lie bowed his head with a certain stately reverence. "Leave him here.-' 5 ■ In the darkness of fflie -forest, sullen with the silence that precedes a etorm, the white man looked at Hugh and from glanced at the iialf-breed's face working with emotion. There came to Monty a curious sense" of evil, an instinct, prophetic almost, that the sick man thus thrown' on his mercy, lying inert and very near to death, would work him barm. "Leave him. master," once more urged the half-breed. The eTfllen"~l;rees seemed to echo the words. The Iblacke turned their backs, and made as if to leave the place. "Xot for an instant," Monty's voice was sharp, decisive, like the crack of a repeating rifle. "'He comes ■with mc." Tiie next moment the litter was in motion, the paddle of 'black feet kept time to the soft and melancholy chant, and Monty Savile stalked ibeMnd, with Ba.rt. the tialf-breed, with him. -~- Fester woke to consciousness fits and starts. He -was—literaUy—draggedback to the earface of things by Monty's will and tenacity of purpose, the same tenacity thai had brought him through the ravages of fever, the nerve-rotbing effects of the 'West African long forced marches, blinding thirefcfand •brazen heat. ■ _._ —~— 2ZZ Stretched -in;a eteamer T?hair, a bamboo tiblr at his side, -Monty eat oiiteide-bis hut. his ears alert for sign or sound of the sjclc man, his eyes .following the laet of a line of dusky specks outlined in the 6ini6:hinc. He was watching Foster's natives out of sight. 'Water was short, food none too pleartiful, under the leadership of Bart the boys had-.gone to eeek game. _'. _ The band of natives who had aaiom--panied Monty had been."SSSHt - toy '3lim' down to the coast there to fetch up certain supplies. The 'two white men "were left alone, save for an old negro, greyhaired, ibut faithful and devoted. ■Foster, dragged himself from jbis camp bed^ ; ahd?Tvent outside the hiut.= K-AHall;----gaunt figure in his pyjamoe, hie skin look.cd healthy,-and the fever had left his limbs. "You're getting on," said Savile with a cheery nodare, 'but you'll soon pick up strength. Have a drink?" He pushed a .bottle of Jimejuice across the table, and handed. over a carafe' of;water. ;T _ ~ 'J~_T ." "Do yoii" only tlrink r Savile?" ' There was the faintest fliieki;pf insult - in the question that touched Monty on the raw. • •- —- - "Xo one but a fool touches spirit in this climate,' , he said shortly. He recalled fnr a mojrvenfe the-grip-of- 1 the told temptation, when, in-utter sickness -of his eotd. hn Ti-ad cried "out for brandy, brandy that had iheen his undoing and would have been hia death — 'but for Dolores. Hcrp in this very spot,"God-forsaken, dreolatr. with the vast pitiless- forest roun.-l him. he. h?.d eat and' wrestled •with the devil that eat mocking at his elbow, a <levi! that urged him to find forgetfulnces. cblivion, peace, in the long-neckod bottle at his side. The smart of injustice, the sting of an ignominious and wrongful dismissal goaded him. A blank future sta.red at him: a wasted past mocked him. And " then from between the trees, at- the end of a vista of darkness—where the light filtered thTough—there had risen before hie fever-sunken eyes the face of Dolores. Her eyes had looked into his, her lips had curved in a' wonderful, beautiful emilp, her smile, that was as- water to a parched "land—and he_ had risen staggering to his :feet, .and sent- the -bottle crashing faT_ inter-the underwood! And from that moment spirits had not paesed his lips. "And you drink only limejuiee?" Fostej'e voice ■ jar.redr - "Occasionally- I sport lemon squash. You'll be on your feet in a- day- or two, Foster." He changed the topic brusquely. The man struck him as a cub. "Are you returning to the coast?" "Xo. I was sent out here <by the firm to' do certain things. I--iban-'t return till I've done 'em." - ■The other smiled. He recognised the spirit of the younger man; his own reached out and welcomed it. "That's good," he said. "Here's luck." He toasted the other in draught of Jimc juice, and produced a cigarette. Foster, prepared if or a crose-examina-tion as to his plans, was. for the-moment, nonplussed. "Your boys will be back within two days. That should suit you?" "Yes. Are you staying here?" "This is my headquarters only." "You've business?" . .... "like yourself, I've certain -thingsdo and mean to do s em." "And you leave here?" — . "Twenty-four - "hours " "after" : " "you." Monty leaned back in his chair and laughed. It was amusing to watch the other's attempt to draw him. A spiritof ■mischief seized 'him; the old dare--devil Monty might be scotched,"b"ut" was" mot killed, lie decided -to give the youngster a run for his money. •'l'm by way o;f being a. .magnate-,' , -he eaid %!it)y, "I hold a valuable, mining eonc-es*io:i. Yin. my dear chap, it's gold, the very gold 1 take it you demanded of mc in such strenuous fashion at our first, meeting." .. _. „ . '.'.Foster braced himself. ■The mine, of course, ds. the property of; my firm/ he said slowly.' "It'lies within the ibonndaiies of :our-conces-sions." "Really? JThatfs news to- mc; have ±o find, jt first, my boy, before you deun.it." . ~. ... ~,

"That-won 5 ! b_e difficult. ~£ha.ve : i. map of the property." "That's more thatf~l have! You're lucky, Foster. And so' you. were cent to Africa to 'bunt for gold? H'm! 1 didn't think Grimshaw's were so rooky as all that." "The credit of the finn is good as ever." Hugh flushed,, and for the first 3snie .showed temper- " ~ ' .z ZH^Si — not~so gooSt as their credit, then. If you'll compare this map"—he put a plan upon the table—"with the one you have, you'll find _a;:considerable That old scoundrel Setnastien gave you this, I suppoee? I thought as much. You'll find he's placed the boundary of tho "concession fifteen miles-- nearer -thecoast than' is marked here. Twig.?" He laughed again, a boyish, most infectious laugh, that stripped years from hfe face, and brought the fun. into his eyes. "Do you suggest Sebastien- deceived mc? "- _ z 1' - — --'■-—- :: - -'I-M-leave that "to--you" to -determine-, my dear boy. Seßastien is clever. Mind he doesn't use you as the monkey "used - ■ tlti" ""cat—£o~pull "tKeTchestnuts out" of the fire." "You know where thie mine is?" Foster. passed by the other's playful sallies and stuck doggedly to the point. '•I do." "I warn you it is my firm's -property, and—l shall-claim it."- - -_ - — '"I assure you, dear boy, I won't stop you. On my soul, you're a good plucked 'an." ...._,._. "The resources of my firm"— : iF" you could have heard the pride in his voice— "are, ac you know, considerable. Money, men, anne—we can enlist ten to every one of yours:" "I wonder!" The man of the eagle eyes smiled softly. Then, with a quick lifting of the head," uttered" a-sudden short, sharp cry. "Listen," he _ea»id, raising his hand. "Listen!" ;_--; L~: . ~S~."-"~~-\ ~ The murmur of a distant storm gathers volume ac it approaches, so a •stir- in- -the -forestr-eilent —as —death — -a moment since in the noonday glare, grew on the ear. A confused murmur of sounds, like the sighing of the wind, the r-umbling of distant thunder, the tramp of an armed 'host, the murmur grew and' swelled, 'breaking- like biHows on shore. From—-behind every tree there emerged—« black—figures- tall, —grim,armed with - gleaming kniv4e f - old muskets, native clubs. Monty rose and greeted, them in _a_ sonorous tongue. _ ~ ;_ ~ ~ ~ ; "Can yonr-pgople enlist an-army such as mine?" he said contemptuously. He clagped hie hands, the dusky company grew nearer.edging close to with arsavage _; ; _- ; - _■ -_ _-. - "At a word frqrn "mc yonr woulcjhbe kHled upon the instant," Monty spoke slowlyj then with an imperious gesture gave the signal- for them- to - "They-have-told-me-thTee-thTngs," he - . =.„ -.-Feet«rr-brea-thing ntore he had not showed fear. ~ "My paTty" are returning from the coast, and will 'be back in two daye' tmei,_y.Q.u..r,.pe-rty._wi-lLre.turji_ia..t.hrec t . Behind them comes a third contingent, under the command of Sebastien. Observe, my friend, the sequence. First come myTiigger3 r -they_will go straight to-the place-appointed for the meeting;; next your niggers—Vho will "follow iftmne. Thirdly, the -tracking yoxi. Sebastien is a tough customer -to tackle." " I'm not afraid of him. or of your niggers either." ■ Hugh spoke with a lofty...disdain he did not feel. -Somehow t. ne . gftffiLe was. not playjng. itself as he had designed. The waster did not show the weakness of moral fibre he had expected. He was not at all the sort of person to babble in his cups. Hush realised "with a"seiise"or=hame the-bottles of. brandy that on .Sobastien's advice he ■had included in hie baggage. He had an uneasy feeling that he had not yet found the wasters vulnerable spot. * "You would eee-m to-be a chief in this country," he said with a cheap eneer. "Something of the sort. The niggers have a sort of superstition about mc. I don't know why, unless it be I've always treated 'em like human beings instead "of dogs.""At home—in England, I mean, you'd miss all this sort of business, but," he stared gravely at the brown-bearded face, " there are compensations," he said softly.-f? '"Don't I know it! J'd give my soul at times for the gleams of the lamps down Piccadilly, the tang of the town in my nostrils. Home!" he said, starting to his feet and stretching out his arms, " it's only when a man has lived here— in a desert place—he knows all that it means." " Wfcy^iU)''-come-back with jme?" "■I-eJjaU; -my—friend,_ whea~l-ve done certain- Made-"-~.my pile; cleared. certain lies to'-th&eounter—once'fbr all." "That- may-take years* There's a if you're wise. Play this hancTwlth me.instead of against mc. Tell mc where the gold mine is; as Grimshaw's agent I will claim it, as Grim-sha-w's agent I will promise you a just percentage. I will even promise you reinstatement, if you can disprove Sebastien's charges against you." - "Sebastien! God in Heaven, man, if you only knew the horrible things he's done in Grimehaw's name, - you'd be ashamed of your connection. The man's a nigger driver, a torturer. Had you seen as I have seen the physical degradation and suffering inflicted on the unfortunate niggers by his orders, you'd have stopped him, no matter at what cost. -Now—perhaps- you understand why the dividends of the company fell off when I took charge?!' \ ''"1" daresay all "you tell mc can be. proved, Savile. Why don't you do.JIS.~I? propose?__ Stand with me —and the~»t;om--pwy?" : ":;.,;: ;"For a ;minute Savile paused. Theresurged over him a longing for Dolores so great that it was like a Wast of pain. He breathed quickly, clenched his hands •till the-fingernails bit-into his palm, and the beads of sweat rolled down his brow. " I can't," he said. " I can't," and his words were like, a cry. "Grimshaws must reap as they have sown. I can't efiEst'under' their flag stained and blackened with blood." "You;-won't think.it.over?" ~, ' "2tfo; it's impossible. That's my.jfinal answer." . "ITien—we're enemies?" Foster looted at Sum. "Let as ear riyafe, Here'e,.jU> the •beet men,"- - - -■■>-■ ■■■ : ■•■"'. -"^ '■-■ ■'-'•'-'--•

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