JAVA JACK

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17536, 13 May 1925, Page 14

JAVA JACK

| “ STAR ” SERIAL. j

By

OTTWELL BINNS

Author of §g “A Mating in the Wilds,” “The g Treasure of Christophe,” etc. jg CHAPTER XVIII. (.Continued.) ! J-’lien he stretched, further, and at j Iliab precise moment, with her body : braced against the- rock Avail, she lifted a foot ! What was in her mind Java guessed in a flush. A touch would send the man into the pool, among tliat waving weed, and down to that shadowy horror lying there —still, mysterious, presaging doom. But the touch was never given. The watchn sudden yell of warning, which so startled his master that it liad the effect of precipitating that which it was intended to avert. Van Oosterdyke started violently, lost his balance. clutched Mildly at nothing, then rolled down the steep rocky side and foil with a splosh into the deep pool. The Malay yelled again, and turned on his prisoner to strike. Java, promptly fired, breaking the man’s am., and with a veil of utter fear the fellow took to his* heels and fled wildly over the rocks towards the sand. The Dutchman c-amo up spluttering oaths, whilst Min«ali after one wild glance at Java now standing revealed, stared with fascinated eyes at the man in the pool as if waiting for something that was delayed. Van Oosterdyke in the surprise of his plunge had either not heard the crack of the pistol, or was well-nigh demented by the nearness of the coveted cross. Tie shook a pink fist at the girl, cried a horrid threat, and then set himself to swim to the side of the pool from which he had made his plunge. The only feasible way of clambering out of the water lay on the opposite side, where the pool communicated with tlie sea, and it was clear to Java’s mind, that being in the water, he proposed to reach the thing which he had been trying to grasp from the rocks above. Mo had almost reached the place when there was a movement in the water behind him. Through its clear(hing that was like an elephant’s trunk, but with a double row of white suckers on the underside- It waved in ! the air for a second like a groping I thing, touched the Dutchman’s pink j neck and then curled round it. The j man with that cold thing sucking at his flesh gave a blood-curdling cry of tear, struggled wildly, screamed to the girl to help him, and whilst- he screamed two more of those trunk-like arms came out oi the water, coiling themselves about him. He was still screaming when the thing that held him began to sink back to the depths, dragging him down. From his vnutage point, Java saw him going; visioned the pink face through the translucent water, one wildly moving hand driving towards i he centre of that horrible shadow, and knew Unit the man was lost beyond all help. Then the brightness of the water was clouded by blackness as the octopus discharged its inky fluid, hiding the tragedy deep down in the agitated pool. •God have mercy!” Blake’s voice, hoarse and quivering, recalled him to himself. The sailor with the Malay kris in hand was standing hy Callaghan, plainly about to release him from his bonds, but with his attention fixed on something happening across the pool. He himself looked in that direction and saw the girl Minah -in the position in which he had originally seen her, her bare arms stretched downward, her hand gropng below the surface of the now clouded water. This lime apparently she had no difficult-j----in finding the thing she sought, for suddenly she lifted herself, and as her arm shortened, a piece of wire rope which .she was clutching came into sight. She stood upright and as she did so. something hound in raffia, dangling at the end of the .wire was lifted above the water. She drew it up to her, gave a cry, and then ran lightly along that dangerous ledge to where Callaghan stood. Java Spared a. look for the boat five hundred yards or more across the sands and rocks. The wounded Malay had just reached it. and a second after Java saw the other men tumble out of the boat and begin to run across the sands. ‘Quick!” he veiled 1o Blake. “Cut those ropes and get to the woods. There ar« others coming!" And whilst the warning still echoed among the rocks, he scrambled downward towards the place where his shoes reposed. CHAPTER XIX. A NARROW .’ESCAPE. As he slipped into his shoes. Blake and Callaghan, with the girl between them, appeared round the end of the rocks. Minah. as shv ran. was wrapping a piece of wire round the thing to which it was attached, and as he followed them one question leaped in his brain. Had she known of that, horror in the pool ? He remembered her failure on her first attempt to reach that wire which had been hung somewhere under the water, and the ease with which she hud achieved it in the second. He recalled the tense look on her lace, and the little foot which he had seen sleeping towards the Dutchman’s precariously poised body, and then he whispered to himself. “She knew that thing guarded the pool ! And she meant him to go in all the time.” He looked at her hounding ahead, her glorious dress flashing in the sinking sun. Slie was indeed a wild bird, lie thought, and since she bad contemplated the thing she had, there must have been much of her father’s spirit within, her, whilst her mother’s wild Dyak blood must run like fire in her veins. Van Oosterdyke had made a. had mistake when he had thought her an easy tool to be used to rob herself of her heritage, and now the Dutchman was the prey of the devil of the sea, whilst the girl carried in her arms the cross of greeu fire. Th--T wrvf not. rlr-.ii away ni i h Mini

yet, however. Behind them, tailing out across tlio sand, were the Malays the first one well ahead, his kris gleaming ruddily iu the dying sun. The men were coming on very fast, and it would never do to allow them to have it all their own way. He knew how courage runs with the man who is apt to ooze when the quarry turns and shows its teeth ; and besides to be driven into the jungle, at sunset, with kris-armed men creeping after them among the shadows, was not an alluring prospect. lie knew wliat that meant—-the sudden panic-beating of the heart at every sound in the wood; the sharp halt at every denser shadow ahead ; the harrowing fear as one looked backward and saw imaginary pursuers in the shadows behind. JTo must try and prevent that at any rate. Suddenly Iks called out to Blake, who, kris in hand, was running with Callaghan and the girl. Instantly the sailor checked and, as the pair ran oil. fell back to .Java. “I'm going to slop them. Blake, at the icxt piece of rock.” “ Right-o!” answered the sailor, and when his companion dropped behind a. fairly large rock, he fell by his side, and immediately poked hie head round the corner to see wliat was happening. The pursuit was still tailed out across the sand, and the first one was well ahead. “Big hefty fellow in front coming up fast. Might be as well to talk to him with that little guri yo'vc got, Java.” Java nodded, lifted himself up. rested his elbow on the stone and sighted for the man's shoulder. A warning was probably all that was needed and ho had no desire to kill. As the shot rang the. tall Malay leaped in the a.ir, fell prone, and then slowly lifted himself up. The three men behind him halted like marionettes worked by a single string, and immediately l>egan to shout to one another and 1;o their fallen companion. “That’s put the stopper on them,” said Blake with a laugh. “ For the present, yes. Rut they’ll get rifles from the steamer as like as j not; Van Oosterdyke didn't start on this expedition without arms. I'll warrant. Those fellows will reinforce themselves and come on again for certain. We’ll move forward.” They left the rock and at a quick walk went towards the edge of the jungle where the others awaited them. 1 /ooking towards the Malays, Java saw that- they were luinched together, talking excitedly; and whilst- he watched them they turned and began to hnrrv towards their boat, two of them supporting the last wounded man. “ There's mischief there!" he commented to- Blake; “ we’re not out of the wood yet.” “No! But thank heaven the sun's gone. In ten minutes it will be dark, and they’ll never bo able to sec a. yard in the jungle.” The face of the sea had already lost its brightness, and |, v tl)e tjme they rea-ched the others awaiting them, the .jungle was full of shadows. “ Glad to see you, Java.” said Callaghan. “ You were on The tick with •that shot: that Malay meant to stick me. I'm infinitely obliged .. . What al-e. we going to do now?” “ Quit ibis island as soon as yvo can. certainly before daybreak.” Mow?” “That boat of ours is si ill in the cave. Blake here saw it this afternoon. Those fellows out there mav not know about it.” ” But. I know tbev do. T saw them looking at it.” “"Well, they may not remember it. or if they do, we've just got to get there first.” “If you say so, yes: hut gee, it’s going to be some picnic iu the dark through the jungle.” “ It will be a much worse picnic if ■ that gang there gets hold of us, and it is certain we shall he followed. T know Malays: once their blood is up they are implacable, and patient beyond all belief in following their quarry.” He tamed to the girl I ; Min ah, who with the precious bundle <■ held nonchalantly in her hand, was , talking in whispers to Nora. | (To be continued).