Beyond the Rim/Chapter 17
CHAPTER XVII
SAYERS MAKES A PROPOSITION
CHALMERS was furious with himself when he awoke and saw Leila's tired face and the eyes that had purple shadows beneath them, and he was even disposed to be indignant with her when she confessed that she had drugged him.
“Suppose they had tackled us?” he asked.
“I only gave you five grains,” she said. “I could have awakened you easily enough. You simply had to get some rest. You are the mainstay of the camp, you know.” She smiled at him wearily as he helped her with his sound arm stiffly to get up. “How are you feeling?”
“Bully! And I've got the appetite of a shark. If you'll help me pack some of these canned things up to the caves, we'll get breakfast and then you'll turn in and get some sleep. That salve is wonderful. I can use my arm, and my shoulder only feels a bit stiff.”
“You'll wear that arm in a sling, sir,” she said with a pretty show of authority. “I'll fix one for you as soon as I've dressed your wound.”
“That isn't a wound,” he protested. “That's only a scratch. I'll bet it isn't a circumstance to the way Tuan Yuck's head feels this morning. Mine's stopped buzzing, thank Heaven. I wonder what their next move will be? Did you see any signs of them?”
“Neither sight nor sound.”
“Well, we've got all the spare ammunition. That shoe that pinched is on their foot now.
“What did you do with your pearls last night?” he asked later, as they ate their breakfast.
“I buried them in the cave. I've got them on now.” She pointed to the ribbon about her neck. “If dad hadn't worked so hard to get them and planned what they were going to mean for me, I'd give them up if they'd only go away and give us a chance to follow later. I'm a little afraid of this island after that earthquake.”
“No use worrying about that,” he said. “What did your father plan for you with the pearls?”
“Oh—we were going to travel lots. And then he wanted me to have clothes, I suppose, and all the things a girl wants.”
“Humph!”
Chalmers set down his mug of coffee and gazed gloomily in front of him. Leila looked at him for a moment, her eyes tender.
“Don't be silly,” she said softly.
As he looked up she blushed scarlet, jumped up and ran to her cave. She paused at the entrance and spoke over her shoulder.
“I'm going to sleep for a while,” she said. “Take care of yourself.”
Chalmers's shoulder hurt more than he had acknowledged to Leila but the native ointment really possessed great curative qualities and the slash when it was dressed showed every sign of healing by first intention. But he managed to sprawl his way up to the lookout.
The beach was deserted. So, to all appearances, was the schooner. The whale boat trailed alongside, the oars sticking up from between the thwarts as they had been left by the natives overnight. Through the glasses he made out the ashes of Sayers's beach fire, with empty gin bottles scattered here and there in the sand.
“Headache of more than one sort aboard the schooner this morning, I fancy,” he told himself. “They are not likely to disturb us for a while, at least.”
He clambered down again and busied himself removing the cartridges and the rest of the load on the raft up to his cave, where he stored them with satisfaction, burying the shells in the sand. Working with only one hand, the morning was well gone by the time he had finished the task.
Leila came out from her cave soon afternoon, refreshed from her sleep, smiled at him and passed to her rock apartments, returning presently fresh from a dip in the mermaid's pool, her golden-brown hair streaming down to her waist, full of rainbow iridescence.
She perched on a rock beside him.
“You don't mind if I let it hang down while it dries?” she asked him.
“No, I don't mind,” answered Chalmers dryly.
She looked at him quickly, as if trying to read his mood.
“You look all fagged out,” she declared. “And I'm feeling fresh and rested. Nothing's happened?”
“Not yet. I think they are all glad to lay off for a while. You must have given our friend Tuan Yuck a pretty hard smash. He's not the sort to put off trying to get even. Sayers and the crew will probably sleep all day. We're tolerably safe as long as we keep a good lookout. We may run a little shy on the menu, but we won't starve. All we have to do is to watch the front door. And that reminds me, did you notice the alarm-clock I lowered down to you in the first load for the raft?”
“I did. And I was afraid the thing would go off. I could just imagine it ringing away and I turned the alarm switch off, though the clock wasn't going. What's it for?”
“For our watches. It won't do for either of us to watch all night and be sleepy all day. We can split the night up into tricks. It isn't dark until seven and the days are getting longer. We'll make the first watch from dark until midnight, then midnight to four in the morning, and a short trick from four until daylight. We can make up lost sleep in the afternoons.”
“You'll let me do my share, as you promised?”
“Surely. We'll alternate. I'll take the first and last tricks tonight and tomorrow morning—and tomorrow it's your turn. The alarm-clock is for the one who's sleeping. One of us must be on the beach or up on the headland all the time. Daytimes there's little danger of surprise.”
“Then you'll turn in for a nap now, while I keep a lookout?”
“I will,” he consented. “I am tired. You're the best kind of a partner, Leila. Fire, if anything shows up. We can afford the cartridges now, thank Heaven.”
She flushed with pleasure, picked up a rifle and went down to the lagoon.
CHALMERS was roused out of a sound sleep by the signal, sounding like an explosion to his sleepy ears. He jumped up, wincing as he forgot to favor his damaged shoulder, and raced down the sand between the rocks, pistol in hand. At first he could not see Leila, and his heart sank within him at the thought that she had been surprised or surrounded. Then he heard her calling to him from the aerie on the headland.
“There's a boat putting off from the schooner and heading this way,” she called down to him. “The natives are rowing and Sayers is steering. He's got a white flag on a pole. They stopped when I fired in the air, but they are coming on slowly.”
Chalmers considered rapidly.
“It can't do any harm to see what they are up to,” he said. “Better come down, Leila. We'll wait for them on the beach.”
She climbed down lightly and stood by his side. In a few minutes the whale-boat showed, rowing slowly past the cape. The lagoon between there and the reef was barely fifty yards across. Chalmers challenged them.
“Way enough there,” he cried. “Keep your oars in the water. Don't come in too close. Sayers, put your hands up! Cover him, Leila.”
She lifted her rifle obediently. The natives, backing water, held the boat almost motionless as Sayers held up his arms.
“Don't shoot, Miss,” he grinned. “This is a peace mission. Flag of truce, you know.”
“You keep your hands up, just the same, Sayers,” commanded Chalmers. “You boys row in till you touch bottom. You'll have to wade ashore, Sayers. I'm taking no chances. Don't put down your hands till I tell you, and the first one who takes his hands off those oars gets a hole through him.”
The Kanakas rowed carefully into the shallows and the Australian got out awkwardly into the water, his hands above his head.
“I'm not armed, Chalmers,” he said. “I'm trusting you.”
“I'm not trusting you,” retorted Chalmers sternly. “Come on up on the beach. That's close enough. You boys back off and row up and down slowly till we call for you. No monkey business.”
A look at his face convinced Hamaku and Tomi that strict obedience was a very urgent necessity and they followed out his instructions, rowing gingerly up and down a short distance from shore, the whites of their eyes showing ludicrously as they watched the rifle that the girl handled with grim precision.
“Turn around, Sayers.”
As the Australian showed his shoulders, Chalmers walked up to him, placed the muzzle of his pistol in the small of his back with a convincing firmness and, taking his left arm from the sling, felt for any weapons the other might carry.
“Honor bright,” said Sayers. “I'm playing fair. Glad your arm isn't entirely out of commission. You put Tuan Yuck properly on the shelf. Walloped him with that light-stick of yours, didn't you? I found it smashed after we got there and got a lamp going. Can I put these down now? Thanks. If you don't mind, I'll take a seat.”
He settled himself comfortably on a rock.
“Don't mind if I smoke a cigarette, do you? I've got the makings.” He started to roll one, but the tobacco shook out of the paper in his nerveless hands. “I don't suppose you've got a drink, have you? There's a bottle in the boat.”
“It can stay there,” said Chalmers shortly. “What's the idea, Sayers?”
The Australian leered evilly, and there was a malicious gleam in his bloodshot eyes.
“Visitors not welcome, eh?” he said. “I don't know that I blame you any.”
Chalmers took a step toward him.
“No offense!” Sayers hastened to say deprecatingly. “You mistake my meaning. Now this is what I've come for.”
He had bunglingly achieved a cigarette at last and now lit it, crossing his legs, blowing out a cloud of smoke, and looking keenly at Chalmers.
“You don't like Tuan Yuck and you don't like me. That's granted,” he commenced. “You don't think we've got anything in common, but there's one thing we both agree upon—neither of us have any use for Tuan Yuck.”
He paused to notice the effect of his words. Leila called a crisp word of warning to the natives who had slowed up in their rowing, evidently trying to listen.
“You work well together, you two,” went on Sayers. “I'll say that for your side. We don't. If I'd known you were so close to murdering that Chink last night I'm if I'd have tried to help him. I suppose, though, the two of you would have stolen the schooner if we hadn't come off. I see you took most everything you could lay your hands on as it was.” His eyes roved to the raft on the beach close by.
“I've got to hand it to you, Chalmers,” he said half grudgingly. “You're smarter than I gave you credit for. That's where I was a fool. I ought to have tied up with you instead of with Tuan Yuck long ago. That's all right,” he deprecated as he caught the look in Chalmers's eyes. “We may get together yet.
“Tuan Yuck's a crook,” he went on. “He'd double-cross the devil and come close to getting away with it. He's for Tuan Yuck first, last and all the time. He's tried to turn the Kanakas against me. As it is I daren't let 'em out of my sight or he'll hypnotize 'em. And I wouldn't trust myself on that schooner with him for sour apples.
“Now see here, Chalmers.” He leaned forward, trying to speak convincingly. “You've got Tuan Yuck sized up. You couldn't believe anything he promised. You've made a fool of him into the bargain. He's crazy mad to get even. His head is so stiff from that wallop he can't move it. And those eyes of his ain't pleasant company at the best of times. Now you can trust me because I've got to trust you. I'll give you the best of it.
“I don't believe there's any more rich shell in that lagoon. I brought up a dozen samples from different patches yesterday and they were all blanks. I don't give a solitary whoop if there's a million in there. I want to get shut of Tuan Yuck, and off this island. If you want to come back to the lagoon later, well and good. The girl's got plenty to pay all expenses and set us all three up.
“Now here's my proposition. Split the pearls into three shares. That means one for me and two for you if you play your cards right. Hold on! No offense, I tell you. I'm just using my eyes. A blind man could see she's in love with you—and ought to be after all you've done for her.”
“Go on,” said Chalmers grimly.
“Now don't go to getting huffy, Chalmers. I'm talking sense. I deserve something. I started the trip. The girl would have died here if we hadn't come. I supplied the information, didn't I?”
“What do you propose to do with Tuan Yuck?”
“Do with him? Do what you like with him. Feed him to the sharks. Leave him here to make faces at himself in the mirrors if you're tender-hearted about hurting him. You take up my proposition and I'll attend to Tuan Yuck. I know what he'd do to me if he got the chance.
“I could sail the schooner back to the Gilberts at a pinch,” he went on, his face smoothing from the convulsed snarl it had worn when he was speaking of Tuan Yuck. “But you've got the pearls and you've fixed yourself properly to keep 'em. I don't want to go empty-handed. Tuan Yuck'll do both of us dirt. You know that. Now you and me and the girl can fix it up nicely. You can't leave here without the schooner. Now what do you say?”
Chalmers said nothing but motioned toward the boat.
“I'm too high, am I?” asked" Sayers. “Then cut my share in half. You can land me anywhere you want to where I can get in touch with the outside and go on. Don't be a fool. Say the word and I'll agree to turn over Tuan Yuck. He's doped with opium now in his cabin.”
“Call the boat in, Leila,” said Chalmers.
“Hold on, now. The girl's got some say in the matter. Do the fair thing, miss,” said Sayers as the girl came within easy earshot. “Make it your own terms. I leave it to you.”
“I wouldn't give you one of those pearls if I never left the island alive,” said Leila, looking at him with utter contempt in her eyes.
“You see, Sayers,” said Chalmers. “There's your boat.”
“I see all right,” said the Australian, his face vicious with the sudden hate that flared into it. “It'd please both of you better to stay here honeymooning, I suppose.”
Leila shrank back.
“One more word like that, Sayers, and I'll put a bullet through your head as you stand.” Chalmers's finger was on the trigger as he spoke.
“All right, then. I'll go. Remember, I gave you a fair chance on your own terms.” He waded out to the waiting boat and stepped in.
“You'll keep your hands up until you've passed the cape,” said Chalmers.
Sayers spat venomously into the water.
“I'll come back,” he said. “I give you warning. And you won't see me coming till I've got the drop on you.”
Chalmers laughed.
“Pull away, boys,” he said. “Smartly now. Don't drop your oars by any mistake.”
The whale-boat swiftly surged down the lagoon, the oars bending under the tug of the demoralized Kanakas, anxious to get clear of the trouble. As it passed out of sight Chalmers turned to Leila. She was leaning on the rifle, shivering as if cold.
“Don't let anything that blackguard said affect you, Leila,” he said.
She looked at him with eyes that were cold with rage.
“Why didn't you kill the beast?” she asked, and ran swiftly from him up the beach.
Chalmers followed slowly, perplexed and unhappy, wondering a little why he had not done as she suggested. The man was not fit to live. If he had only been armed!
Ahead of him Leila turned into the archway of her rock house and flung herself face down on the sand. He hesitated, then went on slowly to the caves.
He dismissed the threat of Sayers's last words as idle, but the Australian had brought up more clearly than ever the delicacy of the situation of Leila and himself. Now, he thought, there would be another barrier between them, and he made up his mind to be more circumspect than ever in word and deed.
“Something will have to break soon,” he told himself, “with Sayers and Tuan Yuck at odds. I suppose the next thing will be overtures from Tuan Yuck.”