SHORT STORY COMPETITION.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 188, 9 August 1924, Page 24

SHORT STORY COMPETITION.

The first prize is awarded this month to Mr. Stewart Trevithick, 171, Ponsonby Road, Auckland, for his story, "The Chasm," and a second prize to "The Match-making of Mattie," by Marguerite W. Crookes. Other stories worthy of mention are "The Tie That Binds," "Dcvi Das is Dead," "The Bottle Gatherer," "Sydney— and Others." Both prize-winning stories are published below.

THE CHASM

(IV STEWART TREVITHICK.)

Have yon ever sat and listened to Strangers abusing your friends or telling

of some incident or epoch in the lives of your friends, all wrong , ; Then, if one i< middling old and cannot move

out of earshot, it is very galling; especi

ally so when it concerns a very dear friend. 1 was travelling in a very crowded train In tin- seat ahead uf mc were two men who talked incessantly. They '.ad abused tiie railway., the Government, the climate, and the people, then finally talked mining, of salted claims sold for enormous sums, of lucky strikes and unexpected fortunes. I was not interested until one of them said. "Uid you ever hear of Jules M.iddcw, the biggest liar in NaruUaiiV" The other man had not. "Well," wont on the tirst man, "this ■lilies Madden owned several square miles uf land out at the hack of Naruliah; [iiHjr, barren land, with little clumps "I" Im.-li here and there. He called it a raneli, and had a few poor cattle running on it. lie could not afford to pay white. , men's wages, so lie hired natives, unci he had a tough job to set them, because, somehow the place had a bad name amongst the niggers. Xow, all that country had been prospected and fossicked' over dozens of times. Nobody ever pot a colour. l'.ut one day this Jules Madden and a partner sold to the bank in Narullah township £100.000 worth of gold nuggets. They said they fot it 400 feet down on his raneli. Nobody could believe them. Well, one night in the hotel. Madden and his partner were cross-questioned by some of the boys. They told a cock and bull story of how they pot it out uf a groat crack in the ground —and, when they had got it. the crack closed up." "Of course it di i." said the boys. "You several kinds of liars. You "pinched it oil' some native territory."' "Then there was a scrap. And some scrap too. Madden and his partner fought like two (lends, and they cleaned out that bar-room. In the morning the boys went to find them. They wanted to make them drunk. No. They were not angry. They liked men who could lii;ht as those two did, clean fighters too. lint Madden and his partner had pono. After this Jules Madden was always called the biggest liar in Naruliah." ' "But, where did they get the gold';'" the other man asked. "Don't know. Anyhow not out of his ranch. Probably stolon from the natives away inland somewhere," the first man answered. Jules Madden was my enuni, and I was that partner who helped him get that gold. What we told those boys was the truth. 1 dont blame them for calling us liars. If 1 had been one of them and bad been told our story I should not ha\e believed it. We did not care whether we were believed or not. We had the gold and we got out of that country. Which was all we wauled. Xarullali is many miles away from this country and very hot.

Jules and I went out to Nanillah together, prospecting for minerals, until our money had all gone. Tii-'ii we got a job in a big store in Narullah townbhip. Jules came into some money and bought what the agent called a cattle ranch. This ranch was several square miles in area and 100 miles out of Narullah township. He tried his best to get mc to go in with him. I wouldn't. 1 stayed on in the store. Jules bought his stock, then he found he could not iffoid to hire white men, and had to have natives. He got some after no end of trouble, and even then they would not stay anywhere near his house at night. They said the place was haunted, and gave it an unpronounceable name which meant "the terror which comes with the earthquake in the night."

I heard from Jules from time to time, j He got his stores from the store 1 worked | in. His cattle were not dying, but lie said "they would not get fat." When I got my holiday, three weeks off, I went out and stayed with him. I rode, and it I took mc just live days. I found his natives camped about two miles from his house. I spent a week with Jules. I did not like it much and said so. He laughed and eaid, "Ah, yes, the noises; you'll soon get used to "em." It was all right in daytime, but at night the house would creak and groan, and queer gurgling noises seemed to «ome out of the ground. Two hundred yards from the house was a small creek where Jules got his water. He said that the natives had told him that the creek would sometimes dry up suddenly, even in the wet season. * He had prospected the creek, and away off, nearly on his boundary, had found slight traces of gold. Jules was sure there was an underground river or some huge caves running under It is property. Ju*t one month after this, working in the store and wondering how long my friend would "stick it out" on his ranch, I received a note from him. A wonderful note.. It had come in by a native runner. The note, if I remember right, was this: —Dear Tommy, It is absolutely necessurv that you should come to mc at once. Bring with you 2000 feet of good four-inch rope, a winch, or windlass, and two or three big pulleys. At once. — Yours, Jules Jladden. I knew Juice well enough to know that as a rule he never did anything without a good reason. So I had a row with the boss, who told mc that if 1 left then I would not have a dog's chance of another job in his store. It was not hard to get a "winch and the 2000 feet of rope, for there had been a good deal of prospecting and sinking of shafts round and about. Then I hired a cart and set out for the ranch, wondering what Jules had found. 1 hoped it did not mean weeks and weeks of hard toil sinking a shaft, morethan probably for nothing, as Jules and I had done before, more than once. I got there just under a week. I found the camp where Jules' natives lived deserted, and presently as I approachd the house I saw that something had happened. Jules seemed to have done some bush-felling, or something had gone wrong with the landscape. And I saw that the house was much tilted over towards the creek. Jules appeared, he nodded, and at once went and pulled the things about in the cart. As we attended to my horse I asked what he had. found. "Found," said Jules, "come and see, you old pessimist," and he put an arm round my shoulders and walked mc down

towards the creek. This was his way of showing how pleased he was to have mc with him. It was getting dusk. There was no creek. It had gone! Where the creek had been was a great yawning gap or chasm. The side we stood on overhung a little so that I could look right down into the chasm. Here Jules had made a sort of landing or staging. This stuck out about eiglit feet oxer the edge. This staging was made of the weather-boards and studs of one side of the house, and stapled down with fencing wire to posts driven in the ground. "How deep is it: what are you going to do, and \v\en did it happenV" I asked. "Come and have tea and I'll tell you. You are going to work like hell," said my amazing chum. Jules said that ten days before, in the afternoon, there had been a thunderstorm and torrents of rain. and he I noticed that the noises I had complained of before increased tremendously. Sometime in the night he woke feeling that something had happened. Getting out Jof bed he found the house tilted over as ! 1 have said. When daylight came he ; found the huge chasm where the creek i had been. This great crack was about ] three miles long and some hundred yards wide at the top, and as we found afterwards just 400 feet deep. Jules had prospected both ends where it petered out to nothing. It was dangerous. Earth and rocks kept falling in. But lie had I found very good indications of gold. When the sun was high you coukl look right down through the water and see the bottom of the chasm. With Held glasses .Idles had searched this bottom from end to end. Then after much trouble he found the native who brought I mc the note, and be built the staging out ' over the chasm.

Xext morning we rigged up the winch and Jules ran the rope through a. couple of ■snatoh"' blocks, which be said would matte hoisting much easier. While he was making a bosuns chair. T searched the bottom with the field glasses. But 1 could see nothing which looked like a nugget. Jules swore he had seen some, but he knew more of gold digging than 1 did. Then lie went over the edge. 1 lowered him slowly until he was standing on the bottom. Like a fool 1 shouted down to him asking the depth of the water, for the noise of my voice brought down many cascades of earth and stones from the sides of the chasm. Jules looked up. ami pointing to the cascades, shook his head, then held up three fingers. The water was three feet deep. I lay on my stomach on the staging and watched him groping about in the water. I remember he was working with an enamel bowl which he had used that morning to make scones in. Presently he signalled to come up. As he climbed on to the staging he said,

"we are millionaires Tommy, look at tins," and he took out of his pocket .1 handful of nuggets, some as big as walnuts. Then he knocked the bottom out of a soap box and nailed wire nett;n£ over it for a sieve. 1 lowered him down again with the sieve, a bucket and ii shovel. He was down there all day and I lowered his lunch d'nvn in the bucket. He would not come up. Just as it was getting dusk. I hoisted the 'liucket half full of nuggets. I had just landed it, when there was a pjeat shout from below. Looking over, I saw that a fearful lot of earth and stones were slipping down and Jules was holding something like a big stone on his knees. He signalled for the bucket. It was as hard to hoist as my partner. As I landed it I saw that the bucket was all pulled out of shape by the weight of the huge nugget. It weighed 100 pounds. I was so excited that I suggested my going down that night and working by lantern light. But Jules would not hear of it. I should have my turn the day following. I went down next morning with a life line tied under my arms. Jule9 had been thinking. He pointed out liow risky it was, earth and rocks slipping down all the time. A whole side might slip in at any moment. But I was too mad with the "gold fever" to see any risk.

A sharp axe was placed alongside the winch so that the bucket rope could be chopped oIT at once, then it could not foul the line which was to be fastened to the winch all the time, only to l>o unhitched when the bucket was hoisted or lowered. It was not a bit like what I had expected. Looking up, the sidee of the chasm seemed to be overhanging, leaving a 'ong narrow strip of blue sky. I could see the life line goinir up and up to the staging and Jules' head about the size of my fist, looking down at mc. He had pulied up the bucket rope and T knew that if anything happened I should foe pulled up that 400 foot as quickly as he could turn the handle of the winch. Jules never feared for himself, but he would never allow anyone connected with him to run any undue risk.

That was about the hardest day's work I ever did. The life line was the trouble. It was very heavy and, of course, dragged in the water. I did very well and got half a bucket of nuggets. Next day we shifted the staging and Jules got nearly a full bucket of gold. It was my turn next morning and my partner -was nervous, he said he "did not like the look of it." He warned mc to be very careful, for fhe water was slowly petting narrower and deeper because the side opposite our staging was slipping , in. He was right. There were constant little land slips and cascades of earth and stones. Occasionally a big stone would come 'bounding ilown and splash into the water. I had been down about two hours when it began to get dark and the life line was being jerked. Looking up, I saw my partner beckoning frantically to mc to come up. Then it started to rain heavily. I got nearly under the staging, and remember hearing Jules shout, when something hit mc on the head and everything went black.

When I came to my senses, T was in ted with my head bound tip and aching like mad. Jules came in and asked how T felt. I told him. but I wanted to know what had happened. Jules had noticed the storm coming just about the same time that I had observed it gettinjr dark. He had been intent on watching mc. If he could have warned mc only ten seconds sooner he would have got mc out all right. Jules said the rain started the slips galore. The shout I heard was his telling mc tc keep as close to our side as I could. ■ He had swn the stone strike mc on the head and had hauled mc up as quickly as he could, thinking

that I was dead. Then he put mc to bed and, as he said, "rendered first aid and found what a thick skull I had."

Next morning I still felt very shaky and sick. There was no chasm now — just a long hollow, thirty or forty feet deep in places. Jt had happened mostly in the night, Jules said. There had been another heavy storm in the ovening. I suggested sinking a shaft, but he slionk iiis head. We should have to get timber to shore it and even if shored. Jules thought it was too risky. So we weighed the gold. We had 1700 pounds of nuggets. These we carted. into Naruliah township in Jules' waggon and fold them to the bank t'ur over £100,000. It was true nobody would believe our story and quite true that wo cleaned up * that bar-room. Jules put his ranch into the hands ot the agent he had bought it from, to -=(■ll for what it would fetch. Then we left. Jules went to Rhodesia and bought a real farm, and I went home. That was over thirty years afjo, 1 always intended to go out and visit my partner, but 1 never did. Then the war started, the lioer war 1 mean. I served two years, hoping all the time to run across -lules. for I knew he wan serving too. I never snv him again. My partner was killed oil the Tugela.

THE MATCH-MAKING OF MATTIE.

|1A MAKUUKHITK W. cuomkks.)

'■Miss Dorothy seems tv have chosen v friend very unlike herself,"" remarked Alan, as he pulled leisurely in the pleasant room over-looking the river.

"Yes!" retorted his sister with some asperity. Nan Uariord was no favourite of hers and a friendship between -Nan and Alan was the last thing she wanted to see. "i have often wondered," she went on. "how a sweet gentle girl like Dorothy should have chosen an irresponsible tomboy like Nan for a friend. Xow if it had been Blanche Sweet——"' she paused significantly. Alan recalled the charming vision he had seen in the ball-room the previous evening, and smiled lazily, while his .sister, well pleased with the progress of her little scheme, plunged into an eloquent eulogy of Blanche.

Meanwhile the two friends referred to were strolling together by tlie river. They bad spoken little and a cloud was on Dorothy's fair face. When the two had seated themselves on a little headland commanding a view of the placid river. Nan spoke suddenly. "Somethings worrying you, Dot! Cant I help?" Dorothy sent a grateful glance into the frank brown eyes dwelling on her with such anxious tenderness. There was a moment's .silence. Then "It's about Jim,' , the said. "Yes?" "You know thnt meeting they've decided to bold to try and secure Kowhai headland a.s a reserve. Well, they've asked Jim to speak at it." .Van looked puz/led. "But aren't you glad Dot? I think it's fine of Jim to be so keen about it, and he speaks so splendidly!" Dorothy nodded. "I knnw; It's not that. But there's liable to lie opposition and excitement over it." She stopped suddenly.

"Yes?" Nan's voice had become very grave.

"X'an, you must never, never tell anyone—Jim would hate it to be talked about, but—you know Jim was badly wounded at the war. ' She stopped abruptly.

"But I thought he was quite better,' said Xan.

"He is as n rule. But la?t time we were in the city we saw a specialist. Ho said Jim had made a very good recovery, but he must avoid excitement — any undue strain might bring about a fresh seizure. I'm so worried about it nil. I'm so terrified Jim will get worked up and have another attack!"

But Xan scofTed at the idea. ".Nonsense! Jim's so popular and clever he'll just carry everyone with him!" And she continued in this strain till Dorothy's face slowly brightened under the influence of her friend's breezy cheerfulness.

But in spite of her brave words Nan put in a very painful and anxious evening at the meeting, and only as it drew to its close did she begin to breathe freely. The eloquence of the young enthusiast had eventually, after a sharp tussle, brought the audience to his way of thinking. Then just as the meeting was about to close a genial farmer rose to hi* feet. "Mr. Carstairs has been telling us he knows of a line Maori legend connected with the proposed reserve. T vote he tells it to the meeting!" Certainly!" said Jimmy amid a murmur of approval. "It concerns"—lie hesitated. Nan's sharp eyes noted that his face had become suddenly drawn and strained. He put his hand to his forehead. Nan shot a glance at Dorothy. The girl had pone deadly pale. "It concerns," repeated Jimmy slowly. Xan sprang to her feet.

"It concerns a Maori maiden called Rona." slie said swiftly. "I was told the legend years ago by one of her de.-ecndanls."' Tn a few vivid words she briefly sketched the old world story. As she did so she saw Jimmy sit down with an expression of relief and the strained look pass from his face. Then, with the immediate danger past, she suddenly became aware of the feelings of her "audience. Every face in the room was turned toward her, eyes were fixed on her with varying expressions nf astonishment and disgust. She saw Alans sister staring icily at her with open contempt and indignation. The sudden realisation of how her action appeared to her hearers brought a hot flush to her cheeks. She brought her tale to an abrupt finish and sat down with head high and burning cheeks. A few minutes later the meeting broke up. "Well." said Alan cheerfully at breakfast next morning. "And how did Jimmy get on last night?" His sister sniffed indignantly.

"Oh, Jimmy was all right! It was Mistress Naii who set the whole meeting talking. Of course. I always knew that Nan was irresponsible and thoughtles9, but even I would have scarcely credited her with the impudence and assurance she showed last ni<*ht!" Alan put down his toast. "What happened. Mattie?" "Oh. Mistress Nan only got up and interrupted Mr. Carstairs in the middle of his speech. Actually took the words right out of his mouth and insisted on telling the audience .the tale he was about , to tell them himself!" There was a moment's silence. "What did do?" "Oh, nothing,"' said Mattie. "What could he do? Ho looked upset, of course. And poor Dorothy. You'd have thought Nan would have had some consideration for her friend even if she had none for Jimmy. Of course, everyone's talking about it. F.ven her own friend.s were shocked.' , Alan looked troubled. While he had felt that Mattic's attitude towards Nan was for some reason hostile, he knew her too well to doubt

the essential truth of her account. He relapsed into silence and left the rest of the conversation to his sister.

That afternoon Nan was once more seated in her favourite station, gazing out upon the peaceful, gcntly-llowing river, with eyes unnaturally bright. No! She didn't care what they said. She reminded herself of Dorothy's tearful gratitude and Jimmy's muttered "flood kid!" as lie gripped her band at parting. So long as they understood. But how shocked everyone had been— how disgusted Ulattio liad looked! With painful vividness Xan imagined her recounting the whole miserable tale to her brother. That nice brother, so unlike herself, with the thoughtful face and the understanding eyes—and lie would think, "lie can jolly well think what he likes," muttered Xan, and rose abruptly to find herself face to face with the object of her thoughts. He raised his hat.

"I'm afraid 1 disturbed you. Miss TTarford! Yon were so intent on the scenery you didn't hear mc approach. And I don't blame you. How wonderfully picturesque that little peninsula over there is. with thnse thick clumps of flax and those .splendid tropieallookillK cabbage trees. And as for that magnificent wooded headland—l don I wonder you're an enthusiast about it. Miss Mai-ford." Nan Hushed self-con-sciously. . "It's' very beautiful," she said mechanically. . '•Yen,"" he said heartily. "I m ,«i gu"i the meet inn decided to re-erve it. I *«>'. Miss Tlarford, I'm just longing to get » look over it. I.unk. wont you let mc row yon over nnd then show mc round a bit. You're such an expert on tins mat tor! ,, Nnn *h"t a swift glance at !,;,„. \Y :l s he sneering at her? Nut the dark eves smiled into !uT» with frank camaraderie. "Wont you come? he -lid ■'.■ntlv Xan found she had to swalh.w n sudden lump in her throat before she could reply. Then. "1 should be pleased." she said simply hey rowel m-rcwß the quiet river to where the -real headland lay dreaming in the nftonioon sunshine. It. steep slopes were -till clothed in virgin forest, which, in pnit,. of the ravage, in the Furrnundinc rountrv bad so far been mercifully s-,rcd Here and there in the midst O f tropical luxuriance, tree fens stood sharply outlined, while at ,nteiva,s kauris' reared their preat bu-hv- Ic.d.hipli above the surroundmg forest - !,„„„ Icafv crow,!., licit were already becoming blurred and so'Jenerl n« mc quiet blue blaze nf summer began to father and cling about them. " "1 hope." said Alan. :M they moored their boat in v qniot raupo-fnnged cove "that you will take mc oil I h>! beaten track and show mc some of your 1 favourite haunts."

•Tm afn.i.l ihere isn't much Vaten track to take you nfT." laughed Nun a* tlirv climbed nshoro. "Rut if you d->nt mind .-rawlinK »n ninwy tree-trunks to ..,•! over pivpU.-. ami Oippinu <1"«« strep sI.iWS. iUl'l p'ttin? hopc.es-ly (Hiiiiiri) in MiiM-i«'j:>'- •""' l " , -; law >'" r : , , an s ,,ow you a few ~L,cps tlmt most pPoplP miM>- Ho auslilns Urcoment and Kan rooii fcund Unit elic hud a comrnde nfter her own heart. Finally, after many scrambles and explorations, they came nut upon a little knell, commanding a view of winding river and distant blue hills, a land of mellow sunshine and lenpthenmS shadows. "We're nearly homo now," remarked Nan as she flunj herself down in the midst of a little grae-y epaoe. "It's only five minutes from here to the hoat. but I thought you miftht like to ace this view!" "I do,' , he replied, but liis eves were fixed upon Kan, and lie wna watching the patches of soft eun-l!o-)it wnndering over her white frock and curlin- brown hair. "Miss Nan." be said MirMcnly. HS he sealed himself boside her, "altboiiph wo have only known each other for so short a lime I feel as if we were old friends." Kan nodded. "Then may 1 take an oil friend's license an.l ask you a question?" Nan nodded, conscious that her heart was beating very fast.

"Of course I know you must liave had some excellent reason for spnaking as you did at the meeting. Miss Nan, would you tell mc what it was?" His eyes were upon her, pravc and compelling. For an instant she wrestled with an almost overwhelming temptation to reveal her friend's secret, and after po much bitter misunderstanding and slander to enjoy the sympathy that she knew was being offered tier in generous meed. "I can't tell you!" she said abruptly, and her voice sound'-d harsh an 1 rude to her own ears. lie rose to his feet. "I'm sorry Miss Xan. I ought not to have asked you. Please forgive mc!"

"It's all right," said Nan with an uncomfortable feeling that she wa< strangely inadequate. They made their way to the boat and rowed home, and although Aian chatted with easy friendliness, Nan felt miserably that the former delightful comradeship had passed. She found herself answering mechanically, and it wa* almost with relief that she said good-bye.

A few clays later Nan «as returning from the little township with some puri-u.ises. ( '" her way she eticountere I Mattie and Blanche Sweet, accompanied by Alan. Blanche favoured her with Uie severely formal greeting; that had been her uMial fate since \lfcf unfortunate meeting. Mattie ignored her and Alan seemed scarcely to notice her. When they were passed she set her teeth and aiming a sharp kick at a small Btone immediately in her path resolutely quickened her pace. But. at the track leading to her favourite lookout she paused, and turning from the load -lipped down it. "I don't care what imy of them think," she told herself. "I'll 20 and have a look at the river. Perhaps that will calm mc down." But when she had seated herself the calmin? Hown process showed no sipn of operatinp;. Indeed she suddenly found (hat her view of the river had become blurred and misty. At the same moment a cheery voice hailed her. "Oh. here you :iro! I thoiiah 1 caupht a glimpse of your dress. I've escaped, Miss Nan! I'd been sentenced to spend the afternoon handinsf round aftornoon tea to a crowd of immaculate people in their clothes! By a wonderful combination of resource, deception and the sheer courajre of despair I gave them the slip." Then as she didn't answer, lie continued. "You're not vexed with mc are you 1 *" But Xan was strugiliniz with rebellious tears, and in spite of all her efforts, two large drops splashed down.

"Xan! What's the matter. I haven't made you unhappy have I?"

"Xo," she replied a little unsteadily. "It's not you. It's the others! X—nobo<lv wants mc now!"

"Xiin, how can you say that! I want you! More than anything in the world! Dear Xan! Brave, penerous, loyal, loving Nan! Won't you give mc a word of hope?" Nan stared in astonishment. "Do you menn you're proposing to mc?"

"Darling Nan, is it wonderful that a man should propose to you?"

"Not in an ordinary way. If you'd done it when I was winning at tenuis.

and everyone liked lue. it would have been different. But now everyone hates mc about the meeting "

"But, dearest Nan, don't you understand that's what made mc love you? When Mattie told mc about it, and how brave and generous you'd been, I fell in love with you then and there. Nan, ™» won't send mc away!" She certainly showed little sijn of it, an 1 for some time the conversation was of a strictly personal nature. When they were both a little more coherent Nan returned to the attack. "But why were you so sure I had done right!" she persisted. -oil, I knew you had! And I just gloried in your generosity, and then when you refused to give away tfT? secret "« loved you all the more! At least. I should 'have done if that had been possible!"

"But." X'an persisted after a short interlude, "how did vcu know all this?"

"Oh," said Alan, "some years ago I studied as a medical student. Then sitter the war I went in for my present line. I used to know Onrstairs pretty well. We boarded together for a while after the war. and. oil well, you know, in «n unofficial sort of way I was bis doctor.'" There was a long silence, broken suddenly by a distant coo-ee. Alan sprang up. '"I believe they're looking for mc. They're eominjj this wny. Quick. Xan, the boat! We'll go over to the reserve j they won't fin 1 ii- there." And they didn't.

A few days later Mattie announced her brother's engagement to a surprised and interested drawing room. '-.Viiil, of course, my dear, I'm not siiyinj that X'au i= exactly the type of "ill 1 would have chosen for the dear boy myself. I'm afraid I'm rather ■ •lil fashioned, l'.ut. of course, I'd never iry to influence his choice. And dear Nun i« so original! And poor Alan is in.-lined to take life too seriously, and the dear girl i< so bright nnd amusing, I'm sure she'll briirhtcn him up."

"Poor Alan" was at that moment engaged in nn absorbing pastime, which ho afterwards described us "boating" with X'an. Hut if lie could have heard his si-ler's last words lio won] 1 for once in his life Lave been in entire agreement with her.