THE TREASURE IN THE FOREST.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8929, 20 October 1894, Page 2

THE TREASURE IN THE FOREST.

«»i ■ ; PaU MaU Budget. The canoe was now approaching the land. The bay opened out, and a gap in the white surf of the reef marked where the Hi tie river ran out to the ccc; the. thicker and deeper green of the virgin forest showed ifea course down the distant hill elope. The forest here came close to the beach. Far beyond, dim and almost clpudUke in texture, rose the mountains, like suddenly frozen wavea. The Rβ* was Rt ill iave for an uhuost hnperceptlbleswell. The t»ky blazrd. The man with the carved paddle stopped. "It'should be somewhere here," he a Aid. He shipped the paddle and held his arms out straight before hliin. The other man had been in the f Jre part of the cauoe, closely scrutinising the land. Hβ had a sheet of yellow paper on hia knee. ?,Come and look at this, Evaes," be said. Both men spoke in low tonee r and their hard and dry. - 1 - - • The man" called Evans came swaying along the canoe until he could look over his companion's shoulder. The, paper had .the appearance dt a rough map. By much folding it was creased and worn to the pitch of separation, and the second man held the dlecoloared fragment* together where they had parted. On it one could dimly make out, lit almost obligated pencil, £he outline pf the bay. "Here," eald Brans, "is .the reef a»d here Iβ tltegafft"': Hβ ran hi? thumb nail over the chart. : ' , . , ( '• tlinj curved .and twisting Ithe fs' the xiver-r-I could do- with a. drink now I—and this star'tstheptace." l " You see this dotted line," en id the man with the map; "It 8s a straight line, and runafitom the opening of the reef to a clump of palm'trees. The is'jtar corned Just where it cuts the river. We mark the place as wegri Ititp the lagoon. " It,'* quusur," ealdrEvnn*, after a pnuee, ',' what th'ene little, marks down here are for/ It look* like the jjrijip nf a hotue or ~sdmethf hg: but. what 'are all. these little dice's,pointing this wfy and that*, may mean I can't-, get a" notion- And whal'd the writing f* "Chinese," said the man with the map. " Of course ! He was a Chinee," said Evana. I " They all were, , ' said the maQ with the mip. , " " Tlipy boHj Hah for some minnMtt nf-arlng a b the land, while the cano« drifted slowly. Then 2r«ns looked toward* the paddle. "Your turn with the paddle now, Booker, , * said he. And his companion .qnfetly folded np hjn mfcp, pat it In hie pock**, p*Merf carefully, and beg >n to nnddle. Hi« raovetrients were languid, like tho«e ol a nian strength was nearly exhausted. Evan* sat with hia eyes half closed, watching the frofhv breakwater of the eortl creep nefire* and ne»»iref. The- iifcy was like a furnaoe now, for the aqn was near the zenith. Though they were ho the Treasure he did no>. fe«>l the exultation he had anticipated. Thetetenee excitement of the etrnggle for the plan, and (he long night voyage from the mainland in the uriprovUloneA canoe bad, to use his own expreenlon, "taken it out of He tried to arouse bioiAelf by directing hit* mind to the ingot? the Chinamen had spoken of, but it would not rest there: it came back headlong to the thonght of sweet water rlppl|ng In the river, and to the almost unendurable dryness of hfe Hps and throat. The rhythmic wash of the sea epon the reef was becoming audible now, and it bad a pleasant sound in hfe ears; the water washed along the aid* of t he c*noe, and thep*riaie dripped between each stroke. Presently he began to dose. He was' aCill dimly conscious of the ieladcf, but a- queer dream taxture inter* woVe with bis eensations. Once again It was the night when he And Hooker had hit upon the Chinamen's secret; be saw . the moonlit trees* ' the little fire J bprcitfor. and , the black] fljrore* of j the tbree Cblnamea — silvered on j one side by moonlight, and oa she other : glowing from the firelight—and heard them Mking together in for they came from different provinces. Hooker had caught the drift of their tnlfc flrtt. andh«d motfoned to hlni fo listen. , Fragments of the converaatlan were inaudible end fragment* incomprehensible.' I A Spanish galleon from tbe Philippines - hopelessly- aground, and' Its treasure j I buried against tbe day of return, lay \n i the background of the atory; a chip- } wrecked crew thinned by. dlseaee. a quartet J or so, and tbe needs of discipline, and at ' last taking to their boat* jnt«ver to be f beard of agafo. Then Chang-til, only a>

year since, wandering ashore, had j,j_ Rpened upon the ingots hidden io r Bhundred years, had deserted bin jank, aid W reburled thorn with infinite toll, gingte. I'handed but very Hefe. H> laid mL t 1 streae on the safety—it ira» a eecret of hit* H , Now he wanted help to return and «xhatn* " § them. Presently the little mop flattere* ■ and the voices sank. A flue story *f o » 1 two stranded British wastrels to hewi I Evans's dream shifted to the moment I when he had Cuang-hi's pigtail Iα hj, I hand. The life of a Chinaman is ccarceir 1 sacred like a European's. The'cunnfae I little face of Chang hi, first keen & n * | furious like a startled suake, and then i fearful, treacherous and pitiful, becamt 1 overwhelmingly prominentia the droMo I At the end Chang hi had grinned, a moai 1 ineoruprehensible and scartliiig gt\n . § Abruptly things became very u«p!e aea , nt * I as they will do at times in dreams. Chaos! 1 hi gibbered and threatened him. Hβ jf saw in his dream heaps and heaps o! I gold, and Chang-hl intervening and 1 struggling to hold him back from it « He cook Chang-hl by the pigtail— I big the yellow brute was, and how he § struggled and grinned ! He kepc growing B bigger, too. Then the bright heaps of g o | d I turned to a roaring furnace, and a vast § devil, surprisingly like Chang-hi, but with 1 » huge black tail, began to feed him with I coals. They burnt hie mouth horribly. 8 Another devil was shouting his name": 1 " Evaus, Evans, you sleepy fool T-or w« 1 it Hooker ? 1 He woke up. They were in the mouth i of the lagoon. W 'Tnere are the three palm-trees. It § mast be in a line with that clamp of 1 bushes." said his companion. "Murk . j§ that. If we go to those bushes aud then n strike into the bush in a straight line from I here, we shall come to it when we come to - I the stream." ~ I Si They could now see where the mouth of || the stream opened out. Ac the eigiiG at ft It Evans revived. " Hurry ap, uiau," he 1 said, " or by heaven I shall have to drink jf sea water!" He gnawed his hand and i stared at the gloam of silver among the B rocks and green tangle. ij Presently he turned almost fiercely upon 1 Booker. " Give mc the paddle," h« said. If So they reached the river mouth. ,A- if little way up Hooker took some water ls ... 1 the hollow of hii hand, tasted it, aod jf spat it out. AHctle further he triedaitala, I " This will do." he eaid, and then began S drinking eagerly. g .*• Cunie this !" eaid Evans, suddenly, m *• It'ii too slow." And, leaning dangerously W over the fore pnrt of the canoe, he begat 1 to suck up the water with his lips. fi Presently they made au end of drinking, 1 and, running the canoe Into a llr.Ue creek, , i were about to land among the thlcfe I growth that overhung the water. T f " We shall have to- scramble throngs I this to the beach to find our bushes and i gee the line to the place," said Evans. - | "Wβ had better paddle round," said. I Hooker. - • | So they pushed out again into the tint - I and paddled back down it to the aea.und I along the --eh ore to the place where (be jf "clump of bushes grew. Here they landed* i pulled the light canoe far up the beach, and i iheu went' up towards the idge of the M jungle until they oouid see the opening of I the reef and the bushes in a straight line! jf Elvans had taken a native implement oat jf of the canoe. It w»* L-»bape_d, and Hie- | tfunsverne piece was armed with polish** 1 stone.. Hooker carried the paddle. "It is g straight now in this direction," said her j "■ we must push throuch this till we strike 1 the stream., Then we must prospect." i They pufched through a close tangle ot I reeds, broad froiula, and young trees, and 1 at flrat it.was toilsome goiug, but vet} i Apeedlly the trees became larger end tbe ' i ground beneath them opened out. Tfc* M blaze of the sunlight was replaced by in* 1 sensible degrees by cool shadow. The. 1 trees became at last vase pillars, that row Jf up to a canopy of greenery far overhead, , Jf pirn white flowers hung from their etenw, 8 and ropy creepers swung from tree totreft. , Tfie ehiitlow deepened. On the gmeed,,,;! blotched fungi and a red-brown 1 tion becamo frequent. . || Evana shivered. "Iteeems almost ce!4 m here after the blaze outnide." . l 1 "I hope we are keeplog to the straight* ' m said Ilooker. - .' -■ Presently they caw, far ahead, a gap in 1 the sombre darlcnees where white nhafU < w of hot sunlight emote into the forest* if There also was brilliant gnen, alid:l coloured flowers. Then th»y beard the '. i rush of water* ' . g " Here U tlie river.' We should be close M to it now," waid Hooker.' • H The vegetation was. thick by tbe rlv&> . I bank. Great plants, ac yet unnamed, gpew 1 among tbe roots of the big trees, end I spread rosettes of huge, green faue to- I wards the otrlp of «ky. Many flowers and I a creeper wtth ehlny follaao clung to the .^1 exposed b»ems. Oi the water of thft § broad, quiet pool which the treasure -~ | MCekei-9 novr overlooked there Hoat«'«i big 1 oval leaves and a waxen, pin6l*h<«hl«« I flower nofc unlike a water-lily. Farther, as the river bent *way from them, the, I water nnddenly frothed and became nohf I in a rapid, I , V Well?" said Evan*. '. i " We have swerved a Httls irom Qt»i;,,-M etraiglit." said Hooker. " That' was to b«V- I expected." . . . J ; - I Ue turned and looked Into the dim, cool \ | nhadowe of tbe silent foresc behind , I " If wt* beat a little way, up and down tfy 1 strew m we should rome to womothing." t v i "Youeaid " began Evan*. ■ > ' - 1, '•i/csaldtherewajaheapotsionee/'tald J Ilooker. . - - 1 Tito two men looked at each other for » : ? I moment. • 1 "Pet us try a HtLle down-etream flr»t>* ~ I eaid Evan*. ' •I Tliey advanced "lowly, looking eerlouelf . about them. Suddenly Evens *tOppdd J _ , " What the devil , * that i n he s«W. Hooker followed hie finger. "SomatbinS ; blue." he eaid. . It had cora« Into »lew c* ■ •,.. they topped a genilo swell of the Rroontf/' Then be began to wbatW we** He advanced suddenly with I until the: body, that belonged to the Ufft# I hand ana arm had become visible. Bfo ~ | crip tlghtenedl on the implement he carried. , I The ihinttwMthe figure of a Cblnama«| . I lying on tils' facl The abandon of fihepos*. ; - i was anrnlitakable. : f I .' Th* two men drew closer together, ft?i ■■; I stood stall up; silently at this ominous ae«fl:*v| body. Ii lay Iα a dear «p»ce »moo|r •*• ■, J tree'r., Near by was a spade aft** lfc*;J i Chinese, pattern, and further eft jajr scattered heap ptetonea. close to afteablf ,'|; 1 dug hole. ' . " Alii I ."Somebody ha* been here before/'sal^g;l Hooker, clearing hU throat. r Then suddenly Evan* began, to and rave, and stamp upon tbe ground. ,>! Hooker turned white but aald nothing, : 1 He advanced towards the prottrate body,' * He saw th« neckwas pnjßsed andptarple, end the hand« and ankl«» ,»iroll«n« "Pehf he eaid, and suddenly ; awuy and went, towards the He gave a cry o* eutprUe. Hβ shouted i Evans, who was following htm alow>y> ;. v ( •• Yoo fool I It'a alt right. ItV *•«• atiil." Then he turned again and !eak«d at the dead Chinaman, and then agais al the hole. Evaos harried to the hole. Already belt , exposed by the .«H-fatea wretch besW» them lay a number of doll yellow ba«. s Hβ b?nt down lv the hole* and, dearie* off the Roil with hU bare hacda, haetuy v, pulled one ot-ihehenTy ma«se<i out. '-»* -.' he did so a little thorn pricked hie »en« 5 H» palled the del»c»te epifte oet with W* flugere and lifted the ingot. > J 44 0n1y gold or lead, could wefgtt tt" , tpiK," he euld exuhautly. > Hooker wue etltt looking a* 4M*;'$ J . Chlnatn»n. Ho was puziled. ' ,-J I "U<6 ntule a inaieli uu hi* ftlend, H>| •ild at "l«tfcj'. " iiv L'C«ttM» bare aloa*. *** :^ i |J

tome poisonous snake has tried him. ... I wonder how he found the place." . Evans stood with the ingot in his hands. What did a desd Chinaman signify? "We shall have to take this stuff to the mainland piecemeal, and bury it there for a while. How shall we get it to the canoe t M He took his jacket off and spread it on the ground, and flung two or three ingots into it. Presently he found that another little thorn had punctured his skic. "This is as much *s we can carry," said be. Then suddenly, with a'queer rush of irritatioD, " "What are you staring atF' " Hooker turned to him. " I can'c stand . , . him-" He nodded towards the corpse. " It's so like " "Bubbish!" said Evans. "All Chinamen are alike." Hooker looked into hie face. " I'm goim; to bury that, anyhow, before I lend a hand with this stuff." *• Don't be a fool, Hooker," eald Evans. ■* Let that mass of corruption bide." Hooker hesitated, and then his eye went earefally over the brown soil about them. "It scares mc somehow," he said. •' The thing is," eaid Evans, " what to do with these ingots. Shall we rebury them over here, or take them across the strait in tbe canoe I" Hooker thought. His puzzled gaze wandered among the tall tree-trunks, and up into the remote sunlit greenery overhead. He shivered again as his eye rested opon the blue fieure of the Chinaman. He stared searchingly among the grey depths between the trees. "What's come to you, Hooker?' said Evans. " Have you lost your wits P* "Let's get the gold out of this place, anyhow," said Hooker. He took the ends of the collar of the coat in bis hands, and Evans took the opposite corners, and they lifted the mass. " Which way T said Erana. "To the canoe T' "It's queer," said Evans, when they had advanced only a few steps, " bat my arms ache still with that paddling." " Curse it 1" he said. " Bub they ache 1 I must rest." They let the coat down. Evans' face was white, and little drops of sweat stood oat upon his forehead. "It's stuffy, somehow, in this forest." Then with an abrupt transition to urnreasonable anger: " What is the good of waiting here all the day ? Lend a hand, I say 1 You have done nothing but moon since we saw the dead Chinaman." Hooker was looking steadfastly at his companion's face. He helped raise the I coat bearing the ingots and they went forward perhaps a hundred yards in silence. ! Evans began to breathe heavily. " Can'c you speak f he said. j "What's the matter with you I" taid Hooker. j Evans stumbled, and then with a sudden ! curse flung the coat from him. He stood for a'moment staring at Hooser and then with a groan clutched at his own throat. "Don't come near mc," he said, and went and leant aeainst a tree. Then, in a Steadier voice, " I'll be better in a minute." Presently his , grip upon the trunk loosened, and he slipped slowly down ths stem of the tree until he was a crumpled heap at its foot. His hands were clenched convulsively. His face became' distorted, with pain. Hooker approached him. - "Don't touch mc! Don't touch mc!" said Evans in a stifled voice. "Put the gold back on the coat." "Can't I do anything for you?" eald Cooker. "Put the gold back on tbe coat." As Hooker handled the ingots he felt a little prick upon the ball of his thumb. He looked at his hand and saw a slender thorn, perhaps two inches in length. Hla jaw dropped. He stared at the thing for a moment with dilated eyes. Then be looked at Evans, who was now crumpled together on the ground, bis back bending and straightening spasmodically." 'Then * he looked through the pillars of the trees and network of creeperstems, to where in the dim grey shadow the blue clad body of the Chinaman was still indistinctly visible. He thought of the lifctte dashes in the corner of the plan, andin a moment he understood. **God helpme 1" he seid. For the thorns were similar to those the Dyaks poison and oae in their blowing tubes. He understood now what Chang-hi'a assurance of the safety of hi* treasure meant. He underStood that grin now. " Evans r he cried. But Evans was silent and motionless now, save for a horrible spasmodic twitching of his limbs. One boot scratched .against the tree trunk. Save for that a profound Bilence brooded over the forest;. Then Hooker began to suck furiously a the littly pink spot In the ball of his thnmb—Racking for dear life. Presently he felt a strange aching pain in his arms and shoulders, aad his fingers seemed difficult to bend. Then he knew that suck Ing was no good. Abruptly he stopped, and sitting" down by the pile of ingots, and resting his chin upon his hands and his elbows upon his knees, stared at the distorted but still stirring body of his companion. Chang-hl's frrlu. came In bis mind again. Far above him a faint breeze stirred the greenery, and the white petals of some unknown flower came floating down through the gloom.