The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 1, 1903, Page 1

HIS is the third installment of “The Golden Fetich,” which is & more thrilling mystery story than either “Tainted Gold” or “The Myste Box,” both of which created a big sensation when pub- lished in The Sunday Call recently. After “The Golden Fetich” will come “The Master of Appleby,” a literary surprise that will create & positive furor. Copyright, 1508, by Eden Philpotts. UR people dance as well as the Mapora, but not better,” said Lord Winstone. “Indeed, they cannot jump quite so high, but that is because they carry guns sad of spears.” This satisfed Kanatte; then he sent for Bis picture book, the gift already men- ed, and went through it with Win- Stone, page by page, like a child His Lordship had to tell the story of each beast, and when the animal described was one with which Kanatto was familiar it was amusing to see his attention and his readiness to catch the narrator in & €< falsehood or inaccuracy if possible. This, bowever, he could not do, and after the @eacriptions of the rhinoceros, lion, bush antelope, ele i zebra, he uttered grunts of turning back to e = Further e night’s en- tertainment and d expedition, much refreshe its halt on the high ground to set for the river. Kane c dditional regiment of fighting ha bounded bts country er side of 1t dwelt his e Miga, who m mies also, b that an escort tribe of Maga- Meldrum’'s ene- monarch ries of Ma- ueen required. peace; she only land which no fore; but her fellow Tel with w be Kanatto spoke wi Xperien a red w y could give little reached the the same nted 3 ®0 f Epeedily condit suffered sev ers wore the then 60 degrees at and the brav. est among them grew -cowed:end frightened But after ten deym of long marchesths Rusha wae reached without further mis- fortune, and under its densely. wooded ure more. congenial to nzibar and the Soudan The awful rains, how- reduced camp to_a scene was only pro- The fallen tr s6 harbored “ev and reptile in their e ' 4 & and termites, bectles, cen- tipedes, snakes, black wasps and hornets suade be men's lives & burden to them. Yot fire was vital to all, and Meldrum and Dan Hook dally set the example of pluck and determination 1ia collecting wogt and serub capable of burning. ¢ point on. the river a bluff rose sheer and offered protection sgainst the beavy hurricanes that blew from the h and northwest during the rains. chosen for the exceptional advantages of position B brief halt A little beach nestone pebbles spread from the river in Mapora terri- agalnst the solid rock of the was possible to bulld . pent- f grass thatch and Jeaves agalinst uins, and thus allow of com- and healthful sleeping he white leaders, Dessie's spe- tent had thus far defled the Roy, Winstone and Tfacy Fain & and comfortable *fiy.” also % to most of the rain §¢ bhad en- nd Dan Hook occupled the Tre- tent, sharing it with the Arab The stream ran deep and wide, £ the camp on the southern side, - quarter of & mile from shore & it ofied islet broke the smooth-sur- & picturesque knoll of fine trees, crecpers and gaudy Sowers. & »n‘: bope ‘was that during this’ ait It might be possiblegto make ds of the Maga-Migs; but the few & tribe who ihspected ‘the etrangers ¢ wo from mifriver in casoes, nor eould of friendshlpy sttract tSew &sance Tal We ats encampedl fa peate em', exemmy's ground 1s ecough for them, BL.° sald Boy: “but we must oake someshow, What we want is Jost & @ousn. canoes, like the big ope, Ut ten paen In it, that came to 1o6% us yestarday. This chap, Unysh, tmust surely be a8 fond of veads and Tide Bish ae t54 others; ws ehall have to send } him & sessenger & gift or two aud’ 3 7 of Wio we are.” te @one? asked Fain ° ‘an’ the oszs on the thole his .punt. had - reached safety. CHAPTER XIII. HOW ‘DAN DXQTXNGL’XS"ED HIM- SELF, Next morning no vestige of the explor- ing party: was visible from shore. The sun rose gloziously and delicate mists as- cénded.from the Ruaha, revezling a silent, sleepingfelet on the sllver river.: Evi- dences :0f - life-"there ‘were hone: and: it might have been a'dream island magically canjured from the air and the water. -Neverthelezs keen eyes and- sharp. wits were hidden within its greem recesaes, 'and leng before sunshine turned the river into gold Lord:-Winstone and. his companions. had ‘made a-meal-and ‘were posted at. advantageous and secret spying places arbund the isle, . Dan Hook stopped by the - punt,: where it lay ‘entirely concealed under a natural curtain -of . dense ‘and trailing- creépers. To man the little vessel and. push 'her out..through. the slight screen would. be the work of .a moment, and as the island was not-more than 400 yards in’ circum- ference but a few minutes. must suffice to-bring - the _scattered party together again. ‘At the first indication of a cance the hidden watcher who discovered it was to hasten - to: the other posts. Then all would .collect-at.the:boat which -lay on that e of the island where -canoés us- ually appeared, and so assist in the neces. sary capture. It was nearly midday, and ‘as yet no sign of the Maga-Miga had been reported by any: of ‘the watchers, when Dan- Haook knocking. the ashes from his fifth' pip and. peering . through the #creen of: cree ers: for the: hundredth - time, suddenly found ‘his® interest awakened before the prospect of an adventure. i Epeeding across from .Unyah's territory and pointing’ straight into his own hiding place, there came a light canoe paddied by ‘tws men and containing three in all, The third was of remarkable appearance and Jocked no larger than a medium sizeq monkey as-he sat crouched up iIn. the stern sheeis of the Iittle vessel. But that he wis a person of some note Dan gues: lion skin, his scarlet the héavy bracelets Upen - his . lean the mallor saw there woutd “Who's going to run his head into-the den like that?” Nobody;" we've -no lives to ‘waste, heaven knows. My plan is simpler; we musi set a trap for one or two-of those inquiring cusses who drop down from the isiand midstream, have e look at us, then paddie away again smartly. We've been here four days now and.cannot de- lay much more. In fact, we've only five days' rations, though they're adding to their far; with & littis fish. We must bulld & bost and a good “one, arm it, hide it one’night in the tangies of un- dergrowth that fringes the island, and then, when 2 canoe comes creeping down to have & look at us, we can shoot out and intercept it. Dan e man’ for this job. 1 wager he’ll have a-workmanlike tub of some sort ready in a few days— a boat that will seat three or four men and be taut and trim. Anyway, it's.our . only move, because, without friends.and canoes, we cannot get over at all. Never such & country. - Thers doesn’t seem - to be & river in it less than sbout-thirty feet deep and a mile or 8o across. Lord Winstone agreed to this. sugges- tion as the most feasible, and Hook.was straightway eet about’ his task. . The saflor pursued it with such emergy that : he had a capital fiat punt of large size compicted In three days, and upon-‘the following evening . a carefully selected force of five men, armed with repeating rifles, set forth to the island. Dan Hook navigated the punt, while Leord - Win- stone commanded 'it; and ‘. with. them were Blackbird, the hunter,“and two: of the moat trustworthy Soudanese. Roy Meldrum had naturally - deter- mined to lesd this little enterprise him- self; but be ylelded to the entreaties of Hook. “Do you bide ashore, theer's a. good man, Mr. Meldrum; ‘cause I'm only & amateéur boat bullder, Ao ‘e see? Her mmmuar.nufinv Q Ber along faster'n you'd guess; m pet bullt to-carry glants itke what you De: an’’if her got ‘pon her beamends an® sinked amidet the crocodiles an’ sich- scattered comrades like varmints in midstream, ‘twould be Some of h & damn awk'ard sarcumstante for us all ;strangers a —beg; pardon_ for the flery :word.” 8o Roy kept his fifteen "stons’ ashore and walted with some anxiety. uatll the ned his belt, cocke b prearrangsd signal—a torch thrice flash- , Gctermired to attempt & ed through ‘the darkness—told that the cisiire, the nose of Pride of Dston, as Dan Hook christéhed ' :5etigh the tralling cur! frient .43';"“"‘.'.'3 the Tnt on BangHipe to, arAlgE e eroce --vosseno. time “to 'lose; amd. even Dan g MY O LINE SULLENLY be no_chance of communicating with his " ° JE 2 paddles. “What he! my . with his revolver covering the rower. - .""Now,. di 7 OF WE— %&z‘g.{ Hovr” tne: island-in *flowers and the boatmen -shipped their hearties!” ro.red Hoolk leading oan’t ‘e mak no fuss, .You've run right in & h'amb sh—that's ‘what you've done—an' you'm my prison- ers, so best to sing small an‘ come along qulet,” The savages, naturally unfamillar with broad Devon, glared at Mr, ‘Hook and a spear shrieked - within. a fractional . dis- tance of his ear by way of reply. " But {g k 5t missile. that’ dusky warrior gt fs; what's done’s dona ever huried at foe.: Dan fired point blank “old monkey-faced party -in the was the I at him and he fell backward, shot through . overalls - be’ my. prisoner—fairly - took. in the head. ad:luck to:it, he asked. ‘“‘Drop stant mo! why:ean't.’a be civil?? them skewers thls.in- nt or I'l1 send e after t'othsr “awalted. averybody. “cove, sure's'my name's Hook.”. All“this “time ‘the savage in the lon' pora waded thigh-deep to meet it. They skin sat motionle: ss and: exhibited also- h'ambush—-an’ 1 wants Mr. Meldrum to knaw it.". ‘At:the landing place a mighty surprise Befors the boat touched shore yelling parties of the Ma~ nowled Bnd dauced in the water; they lute’ self-control. Now he spoke quickly . shook thelr spears; they showsd in: & to his companion ped his spear. “'Phat’s . better,” sald. Dan; “in-“‘my~wherry, the -pair of “'e; £ "ty al the same to you. You'm lawful prisoners ‘and defens and the boatman:drop- * “Suat thousand ‘ways their. extreme excitement and feroefous oy, while on every tongue rolled.the same word in & guttural bass, 1% For-the Mdpora' reécognized- the unarmed - less old man as their sworn of war, an’ if the;old gent in them.tieer foe. they knew that the skulls of their go-to-meeting. togs -will gnly trust us, won't find hisself he, a penny the worse,” ‘grandfathers hung grinning st his portals. “Unyah! Unyah! Unyah!” rang out.the At this moment Lord Winstone, with - cry, and the savages tumbled and fought - the riflemen, arrived, and the Maga:Miga to reach: the. boat and bury .arrow ‘or were assured by’ ¢! +ing to.fear from ;i . converse - with them was {impossible until . sudden danger, gns.that they had noth- their conquerors. To spear in'the:carcass of their dearest ene- my. . But Lord Winstone, alive. to: this stopped and bade Dan pull they returned to the maif ‘camp, where out'again into deep: water. . Even then a several expediifons but He-made o few A then stibmitted to-be placed between two gp of:the Soudane spection hé provéd 1o be very dged. tive appearcd s nd i i cidiers, - On nearer.in- His skull was bare under. the feather head- dress, his -body:was shrunken and lean and his back bent, yet there was that about him- which showed & man . accus- tomedto?lead men. = A reverse, terrible enough from his point of view, and & fate absolutely uncertain so far.as he could erable native; but eomplete and he s orevi 'that Lord Winstone,7net Dan Hook, was the leader among his captors, und. as the . pun e canos i tow slowiy ’ dowan ‘the- teland and- kept dim-but unblinking eyes fixed' dpon s mn.a"u' delighted at his p N en emotion. Intuitively guess, awaited the ven- his self-possession was showed no trace of fear this matter end only regretted ance of the Maga-Miga: tongus. s 4.to shoot, onevof’'em, worse luek. *Twas -“which. he jshould;’ ded + down Devon way—me or him. But if the Y ’-as they say blighters had awnly knawn plain English 'twould have been differ'nt. Stlll, theer he had guessed - it the Mupora still abode with'the dogen frantic Mapora. dead to commands or threats, pursued them and swam round roarsd Dan ‘at the t rearing Mapora, “T've catehed:a; Us. ‘have: got un: safe an’; und, he'm. my: prisoner of war: an’ ithe fust bf you commoui swine as ‘touches my king, I'll break your ugly Jawsg for you!" Meldrum had now becomé awars of the. strange- scene being enacted within & hundred yards of the sture. Winstone shouted to him to call the Mapora back, and explainéd that they had better be'dis- armed and guarded, for twenty still re- mained with the expeditton st Kanatto's ol to see the stre _-nm-uu ‘Beggin’ yout-pardon, tis I that havel™ yelled Dan. : . Y The Mapora reluetantly returned ashore and were immedidtely disarmed, wuch to thelr indignatioz It was explained ,to them that t%s monarch, though their enemy, was r={ as yet an enemy of the Queen of the =iver Sunrise. With diffi- culty- they we:e pacified, and tha laader lon-ekin - 71003, comes slowly, and will goon fMicker out. Nothing matters to me. I have lived & king’s life. But you—you must answer to my people. So be it. Let me serve you 1f you desire it; if not, suffer me to depart in peace as one with whom your queen bas no quarrel.” Then Bessie made answer: “1 desire no quarrsl with Unyah—far from it. 1 have heard of his greatness and majesty and power and am willing to be his friend. We captured Unyah perceiving him to & very great man. but not knowing that he was a king of the Maga-Miga. We captured him think- ing that he would bear our messages of friendship and good will to the King, but beho!d this is better still, for the King himself comes among us and we weicoms him with rare gifts and will make a feast for him before the day is over. The white Quean has come from afar off and is at peace with all men. She brings but ffty tubes of thunder medicine and fears not to trust herself with the monarchs of the land *““To-day she !5 here to-morrow she has @Geparted 8he has no snerfies; she s not concerned with the feuds of the Mapora and the Maga-Miga any more than she is concerned with the feuds of the buffaio and lon. She comes In peace and desires that Unyah will permit her to pass through his kingdom In peace, that he will ‘grant her good store of cances to proceed along his river ways, and that he will prpciaim among his people that the Queen of the Bilver Bunrise is his friend. “These messages I had designed to send by the first of Unyah's subjects who fell into my power and so I sent my servants to IA¥ in wait and capture a man or wom- an of the Maga-Miga; but it is willed by fate that we monarchs should meet face to face and I am glad, most ancient and famous King, that it is so0.” The old man’s face exhibited many va- rying emotions as thess amiable sentl- ments wers conveyed to him plecemeal by the assistance of two interpreters. At the end of the speech he rose, bowed twice, then, taking a crimson feather from his wild bonnet, presented it to Bes- sie. Bhe likewise bowed and placed the feather in a big whits Panama hat which she usually wore. Then Unyah spoke again: “The Queen of the Siiver Sunrise is wiser than her years and Unyah, who Ras has lived through a hundred rains and seen more new moons than the hairs in his head, will make a friendship and a compact and will lend the queen ten great canoes and will bestow upon her people twenty days’ rations of millet and plantain; and Unyah will send gifts to the white queen; for though his head is red with blood and he has walked in blood to his knees, yet he has no love for war, but would rather be a man of peace and see no spear shaken upon his coming and no war cry lifted against his warriors.” Then the Mapora soldler who acted as interpreter had something to say on his own account, and he !mplored Winstone to permit him and his friends to convey the defenseless Unyah to Kanatto, He explained that the white queen could not by any possibliity be the friend of both monarchs, and’ he swore by all the caths he kitew that once of the friends of Kanatto were well into the territory of his rival they would surely be surround- ed, betrayed and destroyed. To trust Unyah was to trust a hyena. Not to destroy him now or give him to his hun- &TY eénemy was to release the snake un- der the heel, to pardon the stinging wasp, to rescue the drowning beast of prey. But Lord Winstons naturally felt in- disposed to listen to these suggestions, and King Unyah, being now quite satis- fled of his safety, offered of his own free will to stay as the guest of the travelers until his messenger could reach his capi- tal, situated some miles up the river, and bring therefrom the necessary canoes and stores. The difficulty centered with the Mapora aborigines, for Kanatto's people were already clamoring to depart, and if one escaped and got inland half a day’s march, news of Unyah's capturs would reach his rival and a rapld raid result. The King himself speedily show- ed means of escape from this difficulty. “Cross to my side of the Ruaha and you are safe,”” he sald. “A mile below here the stream narrows somewhat, and it may be possible to get a .cw canoes, which will suffice to take your party to the other side. Do this to-morrow; but meanwhile I will send my servant in his cance. Give him a day’'s start of the Mapora and he will rejoin us In force before they can do us any hurt. Besides they have no canoes, and If they attempt to reach us your thunder medicine will pour their blood upen the river. With my men shall come one from the far coast land who is skilled In Swahll; then may we speak without need of this good and sinewy warrior, servant of Kanatte.” But the tramslator only scowled as repeated these words, and then the con- ference lerminated for the time being. The sucviving . boatman of the King's canoe- waa' soon .making the best of hi way home up siteam, while as for the Mapora, 3¢ became svident very speedily that 1 they were fiot Teleased they would zalse & war cry, on the chance of being hesrd by their fellow tribesmen far SWAY. A Zansidezi was stationed with ¢ ‘oaded gun at the ear of each, and thelr position explained to them by Meidyus, “Let one of you but 1ift Up your veloce so that it can-be heard fifty yards distang and I will alay you to & man,” he sald. “To-morrow at midday you will be ree leaged—until then you sre my prissners ~through your own fault. You shall J reet: AR have your promised gifts to-morrow if you obey me; but disobey and yos will perish instantly.” Throughout that night & leokout was kept, and Winstone, and Fain aiternately watched with the Zaa- sibaris and Soufansse. Big Daa Hoek was busy with the bullding of a big raft, and at this second vessel ke and his as- sistants labored 57 the light of & Ruge fire Before this, however, M». Hook, at his own desire and as an honor ts King Un- yah had been to!l off :5 walt upen that monarch. A speclal petihouse was ralsed against the clif® of soariet cloth wound round of it Hiankets were lpren:. s ..:t soup the ba - A soldier, voluntsersd opened and & lale of it a big ?: ,.:(;‘,M a~.,,~n|p-,°,n he had often lovking glass Pest”wed upon the Kisg fought against the Magi-Migs and knew e eonducted himse!? with sourtesy, bug their ianguage 7his man was accord- 213 not n.t§emvz to hll_do tle ingly ‘brougit to tbe shore, and while When the *was losd,” as Be fnsisted oa Unyah explained his presence at the jsi- calling Mook, was *ppointed to be his sere and on the o hapd, Nessle, who in her vant DLan hustsd abost the menareh, regal character gravely greete him, an- Spoke to him with absolute Sarespest Aad nounced, mfter gue coaching ~..m Fain delighted Unyah, who thought Alm enly and Meldrum, the nature of the position less great than I.M;d Winston and the and the character of the aid she required VW iite Queen hersel from her captive momarch. _ ‘You were - mu}f;:h.: ‘--. “Hearing from my psople of a won- %7 l:‘:fl"";l now, e ts Dan, dut drous encampment upon the Ruaha River, “‘,?GM" . g lf}y% and of white men with good store -of S8, Outonct Sl Hne frighten the crows to' rights. you weuld The King beamed, asstmiy & somspile ment 3 “¥ou & Yery grost man with mach aele T L e et oy nn Te *tls [ youP souatry, ¥:suppom T Sugwaste: RO ny z ¢ sgainst the white men, but realizing that '} 5 e s they. were friends” with- the Mebora, 1 e e o o e feared they wnuld not make peace with'‘myself 1# | had no Letter ‘anguage ilam me. I was captured by this war iord, and thae isesr. < "Twould ke & passet % am his prisocer until his queen bids him speak your damn lings Segxis’ jardes release me. “1 repeat I -have =5 g foF the Sery word." with you I &!!l serve you with fri ¥ou #tall be a war lord ship, but % can avall you nothing if you Maga-Migs, 1f you will Yes are treat me Ii. I am old, and my brests @f war and not afrald of epears o1