JAVA JACK

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17525, 30 April 1925, Page 13

JAVA JACK

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j|2 Author ot H H “A Mating in the Wilds,” "The gg I— Treasure of Chrlstophe,’’ etc. M M ss i i 1 b CHAPTER XIV. I (Continued.) I “So, my excellent brother, fortune brings us together once more.” “Bi’otiier!” whispered Blake. “'God! he can’t mean that.” Callaghan, however, watching the two men, had no doubts that he did, and he waited breathlessly for what was to follow'. The fellow laughed again—a malicious laugh with a sound of menace in it. “I have heard how you have trailed me, and you nearly got home at Paleinbang when I took to the river.” He laughed again. “But it is my turn now. You want my life, but I am not bloodthirsty—nol And I am prepared to sell you yours—on conditions. "What conditions? You would ask if you had that rag off your mouth. I will tell you. I want that emerald cross of which that fool Robjohn told you at Njio’s cafe ; and though I have the means of learning the truth from that little girl who has hidden herself in the wood, I prefer that my brother should whisper it to me.” The man laughed lightly as ho paused: and in the interval Blake whispered to his companion:— “.Tava’ll see him flaming first. Look nt his eves!” Callaghan shared the thought to the last letter, for his friend’s grey eyes were ablaze with stormy lights, and there was no sign of weakness, nothing but pent-up, voiceless anger in the brown. lean face. So interested was he in the drama that he forgot the pistol in his hand, forgot the boat that he had seen leaving the ship, until it grounded or. the sand, decanting three more Chinamen, and in that moment Java’s cap- “ You will not whisper the secret in love? No! But. by O——. you shall scream it in agony. You know Njio but you have never seen him at work among the nerves of a man.” “Torture, by heavens!” Blake whiskered in horror. “‘An’ Chinese torture! Shoot the devil. Mr Callaghan, if he begins.” “You had some acquaintance of that, fool. R obi ohm” continued the man. “You saw what obstinaev brought him to! But yo\i”—the fellow’s voice suudenlv lost its smoothness and shook with hoarse, tumultuous passion—“you, bv the Powers of Hell. T’II turn you into a gibbering, crawling. obscure thing, whose heaven it shall he to lick my hoots. I’ll ” “Means it! Oh shoot.- Callaghan.” Callaehan raised his pistol. All the risks of the situation must be taken to save his friend from the threatened horror. He was in the act of sighting, when a yell broke on the stillness, making him look round suddenly. He saw nothing, but what from him was hidden was revealed to Blake who had risen suddenly to his feet, and who pointed swiftlv towards the path that led to the clearing above. “Damnation! ” he whispered. “They’ve got- the girl-:” CHAPTER XV. A DOUBLE SURPRISE. As Blake whispered his astonishing news, a sudden overwhelming tear leaped in Callaghan's heart. If they had indeed capturd Minah then the end of ail things for Java Jack was very near, and tlie girl, herself was in a parlous case. Half a second later his fear gave place to a great surge of re- 1 lief. Coming down the path towards | the beach was a Chinaman and by his side indeed was a girl, walking quite free, and unfettered—but it was not Minah, it was San Choon. Blake, unaware of the shock lie had given his companion, stared at the oncoming pair with wrathful eyes. “That gal don’t seem no ways worried,” he whispered. “She's coinin’ along friendly like. Guess she’s with her own kind an’ happy. A case of Chink to Chink, an’ I expect she’s going to sell the lot of us. Natural, I dare say; but I’d like to wring her pretty neck ” Andy Callaghan was himself troubled as he looked on the advancing pair. If there was anything in Blake’s idea, then' both Nora and the girl Minah were in gravest danger. Then the thought came to him that perhaps they were doing San Choon an injustice, and that by some unhappy accident she had fallen into the hands of the man who was bringing her down to the beach. A few minutes however would reveal the truth, and in any case the necessity for immediate action to save Java had passed, for Java’s captors were all staring in amazement at the on-coming pair. Whispering to Blake to keep perfectly still, and whatever happened to do nothing precipitate. Anay Calaghan set himself to “By the living Jingo! San Choon!” The cry had come from t-lie chief of Java’s captors. Absolute astonishment rang in his tones and showed in his face, then forgetting his prisoner he hurried forward to meet the newcomers. Njio and the Chinamen however did not move* They stood watching Java Jack, whose eyes as botli the unseen watchers were quick to note, were ablaze with fury as he glared in the direction of San Choon. Blake whispered hoarsely: “Java’s like me. He’d choke the li 1 Jazebel for less han two pins.” Callaghan owned to himself that appearances certainly warranted the | sailor’s thought, and waited with some j curiosity for what was to follow. The j girl and the man had already met, and j though neither Callaghan nor Blake ! knew the girl’s story as Java, knew it, I to both of them it was apparent that the pair were old acquaintances. A burst of voluble Chinese came to them, I then a sound of San Choon’e mellow ; laughter whicli made Blake grind liis teeth. j “Own sister to Judas!” he said in a groaning whisper. “I’ve half a mind i Callaghan checked him with a lifted ! finger, and, as the girl accompanied by the man who called himself Brown I stepped on to the beach, he watched IJava Jack. The latter’s eyes were still blazing, but a look of utter contempt came on his face as the girl having greeted Njio. turned to look at , himself. That look seemed to wither the greeting on her lips. She winced ever so slightly and a flush of shame ! darkened her face. Then with a hnrl j laugh she turned to Java’s enemy. “You glad to see me, and you • also, ] Niio. T bling you news of the glat-e

jewel, which you have not yet found. Hey? No!” “We shall have it in a brace of ticks. San Choon, 55 laughed the man Brown. “This man here knows where it is, an 1 we’ll hare the secret out of him in lev* time than you could say your naifle/’ “This man!” The almond eyes surveyed Java Jack with open contempt. “He does not know and so he cannot tell. Hot tali let him go—he is not any use/' “Let him go! Not much!” The man whom she addressed laughed with passionless ferocity that made Callaghan shiver. “For years I’ve wanted him just where T have him now, and he won’t go until I’ve finished with him, arid then lie’ll be gone for good.” San Choon seemed in no way moved by this utterance. She shrugged her little shoulders and then laughed a little hardly. “You wan the big jewel vellv badly?” “ As bad as I know how.” The girl’s small head'nodded. “You will not get it if you kill Java Jack.” “ Why?” There was wrath and thunder in the word, but San Choon was imperturbed by it. tc Because he does not know: an’ if you slay him, I shall not tell you where you can find that one who does and who fly from you just now.” -“Got in himmel!” The man swore in Dutch, then he grasped the girl’s small shoulders and shook her most unmercifully. “ You would make a bargain with me,” he raved. “ You would . . .” It looked as if he meant to shake the life out of the defiant little woman, but quite suddenly he desisted, and laughed harshly. “ I’ll tiav you. San Choon, if you give me back-talk like that again.” San Choon was plainly in some distress ; the gasping intake of her breath and the sick look upon her face told that; and it was a. full half minute before she could speak. When she did, it was to reveal that however shaken her nerves were by the rough handling, her purpose was absolutely “ You flay if you like. You will not get the glate eloss if you do not let him go.” She indicated Java with a Sash of her dark eyes, and then stared with unwinking calm at the man who had shaken her “The devil!” The words were spoken in a white intensity of passion, then the man laughed ferociously. “ San Choon, do you remember that time at Samarr.ng when I beat you with hot rods?” San Choon gave a sudden shiver, but answered in a flat voice from which all emotion had been ruled out. “ I lemember.” “Yes l Arid you know what Njio ! here can do to little girls who say they will not do what he asks?” “ T know, but I do not care. You tlv me ; T will not speak. I. will not cly out.” “Glory! The * little one’s no Judas.” said Blake under his breath. “ T take that back. For some reason she’s trying to get Java off scot free.” “'Seems so!” Callaghan whispered back; and watched the drama before him with intense interest, wondering whether he would have to take the risk involved in interfering. The man whom the girl challenged to do his worst was glaring at her in a way calculated to shake the nerve of any girl—but she seemed indifferent and unmoved, and her attitude clearly nonplussed him a little. He took no overt action, but a stream of abominable words came from him. in the midst of which Njio stepped forward and lifted a hand far quiet. The white man’s stream af profanity did ' not wholly cease, but became a dribble, a series of ferocious interjections upon which Njio did not scruple to break. “ Me talk-ee to San Choon,” he said. “Me find what she want-ee. Tell-ee, Blown.” * (To be continued).