The Lady of the Miniature

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17501, 7 September 1928, Page 3

The Lady of the Miniature

(Copyright.)

by ben bolt.

Author of “The Lifting of the Shadow,’’ “Love Finds the Clue,’’ etc

CHAPTER TL—(Continued.) Three days later they departed on their quest, taking with them six native carriers, one of them an old ser vant of Cordery’s, who had been with him on many expeditions. The road were thick with dust, the settlement was hot and dry as an oven when earlv in the morning they started for the Never-Never Land. As they wen along the cliff and across the flats, Vernon Shapland’s eyes fixed themselves upon a range of hills that cleaved the sky like a lon D , blue wedge The beauty of the scene however, left him unmoved. Though he was staring at that d !^ ta . nt , it was not of the hills that he was thinking. He knew that for him this journey was a journey of fate, and all his thought was of a man somewhere in the deeps of this strange land. Presently they left the sun-scorched flats and plunge the steaming heat of the primeval * Gr of’the long eight weeks’ journey among the hills, through enormous gorges, and over foaming rivers that are yet without a place on the map, there is no need to write here. Bu towards evening, at the end of that time, they came to a small tree lage of naked savages, the chief of which Cordery went !o interview, taking with him presents, consisting of a necklace of dogs’ teeth, a hatch and' some trade tobacco. Two hours later’ he returned with satisfaction beaming on his lace. “We’ve made a bull’s-eye, he said, as ho threw himself down in the camp. “There are two white men across that spur of hills there. They’ve been there for months, an i reckon fr-om the chief’s description that one of them is Charley Rowley, and the other his partner. _ Vernon Shapland was conscious of a sharp stab of dismay. Somehow he had hoped that the man for whom he was looking had perished, as so many prospectors had perished in New Guinea either at the hands of cannibals, of fever, or by one of the man} accidents by flood and field that are .of daily occurrence in the wild lands. But as the guide delivered his news, Shapland’s face afforded no index of his thoughts. He looked towards the distant spur, indicated, and in an indifferent voice asked: — / “How long will it take us to get “Two days; easy going!” was the reply. . , Shapland nodded, and did not speak again, but sat there smoking, apparently occupied with his thoughts. Two days later they pitched camp by a small and rapid river that plunged from a high cliff, and after a meal Cordery walked down-stream examining the soil, whilst two of the carriers went forward a mile or two, in the endeavour to locate the camp of the men they were searching for. Shapland remained at the. camp, smoking and thinking, thinking and smoking. , . . „ His thoughts were interrupted by a joyous shout. He looked up to And Cordery hurrying towards him. His face was purple and streaming with perspiration, his eyes were dancing with excitement. “What is it?" asked Shapland quickly. , , . . , The prospector opened his hand and received a couple of what looked like pebbles the size of broad beans, and of a yellowish hue. “Gold!" he answered. “This durncd river must be full of it. I picked them up from among the stones. I expect it’s washed down from somewhere up in the hills. In the morning I’ll climb to the top o’ that fall and explore.” _ Shapland smiled to himself. In his companion’s resolve he saw the way In which a problem which had confronted him for days might be solved; and when the two carriers returned with news that they had located a white man’s camp six miles away, he made a proposition. “In the morning, Cordrey, I’ll take these two men and go and have my interview with Rowley. Aou can explore the river and if it’s the Bonanza you think, you’ll be able to return here after seeing me down to Moresby.”

“Right ,Mr Vernon.” The" next morning Shapland started off, accompanied by two carriers, and after two hours travelling caught sight of a tent pitched on the flat by another stream, a mile and a half away. He stood looking at it for a little time, then giving the two natives a stick of tobacco each, he ordered them to await him there, and went forward alone. In the crook of his arm he carried a rifle. Presently he reached the neighbourhood of the camp and went forward cautiously. At first sight the camp appeared to be deserted, and as he crcpL nearer, convinced that such was the case, he moved with less care, and set his foot on a dry stick, which broke with a sharp snap. There was a sound of movement in the tent, and as Vernon Shapland crouched in the eucalyptus hushes, a tall man threw back the tent-fly, and stood looking round. He was obviously young, though ne wore a curly brown beard, and the hidden man looked at him uncertain]v. There were Two men at this camp, which one was this, Rowley or his partner? The man at the tent door himself answered the question, as he said aloud: _ , “I wonder what that w r as? I heard something as sure as my name's RowIcy.- i wonder if these confounded cannibals arc There was a spurt of flame from the eucalyptus bushes, and as the sharp crack of a rifle echoed among the hills, the man at the door crumpled up and fell on his face shot through the heart. The next moment Vernon Shapland was running through the bush as fast as his legs could carry him, frantically, like a man distraught. CHAPTER HI. When Vernon Shapland returned to his camp, he found Cordery seated upon a log, juggling with the two nuggets of gold that he had found on the previous day. His clothing was torn and caked with mud, and there was a look of intense disgust upon his face. “What is me matter?” asked ~hapland. “Anything wrong?” “Everything’s wrong’,” retorted the gold hunter. *Tvc been up the. cliff and a mile beyond the head of the fall, and I’ve been down the river, and never the colour of gold have I seen. I reckon some fool must have just chucked these two beans in the river to cause other fools to waste their time. This place is a blank. There s no bonanza here. It isn’t another Yodda River.” Vernon Shapland knew little about New Guinea affairs, but he had a dim

idea that at Yodda River the goldmining had proved profitable, and since he had no wish at the present moment to discuss his own expedition, he was willing to talk of goldmining or of anything else. “Yodda Rivers are scarce articles,” he said, by way of continuing the conversation. . “That’s so, worse luck!” answered Cordery, and then asked the almost inevitable question. “Sec your man, Mr Vernon?” Shapland nodded. “Yes,” he said slowly. “I saw him, but he wasn’t the man I was looking for.” “Not the man! Then we’ve been chasing a goose?” “Not quite! He was able to tell me that the man I have been looking for is dead, and so I can get back to England as soon as possible. It is Very important that I should. I wonder if you’d mind striking camp to-day and starting on the way back. There are some hours of daylight yet ” “You must be in a terrible hurry, Vernon, if you want to start to-day. But I don’t mind if I do. This place has sickened me. As soon as we’ve had a meal—it’s nearly ready—we’ll start.” A look of relief came on Vernon Shapland’s face, a look which Cordery noticed and wondered at. He looked at his employer more closely.- His drill suit, and the Japanese silk shirt were torn, some of the buttons were gone from the latter, and through the opening dangled a few links of a fine gold chain. “You look as if you’d had rough going, Mr Vernon.” “Pretty bad,” answered Shapland as casually as he could. “The bush was simply awful.” Cordery nodded, then pointed to the end of the dangling chain. “Lost something, haven't you?” Vernon Shapland glanced downwards, and 5. look of dismay came on his face, as, when he tugged at it, the chain came out from under the silk shirt, showing two broken ends. Then he laughed nervously. “It’s of no great moment," he replied; “only a little keepsake.” Cordery smiled broadly, a smile of complete understanding. “The girl will forgive you if you tell her what the New Guinea bush country is like. I expect the chain caught somewhere and broke without you noticing it.” “It would seem so,” answered Shapland, thrusting the chain into his pocket. Cordery rose from his seat and moved towards the fire. For a moment he busied himself with the contents of a cooking-pot, then he turned to his companion once more. “I thought I heard the sound of a rifle a while back. Was it yours, Mr Vernon?” Vernon Shapland’s face went suddenly white. He glanced nervously towards his rifle, and, remembering that there was still an empty cartridge in the breech, conquered his first impulse to deny the fact. “Yes,” he said casually. “I saw a big snake —twelve or thirteen feet long at the very least, and was forced to pot.it, as i’ was directly in the line of inarch.” “It was probably harmless,” was the reply. “Most of the big snakes in this part of the country are.” Shapland’s colour had come back. The other’s obvious acceptance of his story had put him at his ease once more, and during the meal that followed, he was almost garrulous, talkin steadily, whilst Cordery wondered why he should, for on the way up his employer had been almost taciturn, and quite naturally the guide attributed the change to the news which Shapland had learned on his morning’s expedition. An hour later, when they struck camp and set their faces towards the distant coast, Vernon Shapland's whistle was singularly bright and clear. The inheritance of Shapland was now his beyond dispute, and with Shapland, almost certainly would go the hand of Janet Selby. (To be continued to-morrow.)