The Swede's eyes opened wide, and a funny little sensation assailed
the roots of his hairs. Also he turned almost white beneath his
tan. Quite precipitately he left the cook's tent. He was not one
who required a detailed exposition of intentions that were quite
all too obvious.
As surely as though he had heard them plotting, he knew that Kai
Shang and Momulla had come to take his life. The knowledge that
he alone could navigate the Cowrie had, up to now, been sufficient
assurance of his safety; but quite evidently something had occurred
of which he had no knowledge that would make it quite worth the
while of his co-conspirators to eliminate him.
Without a pause Gust darted across the beach and into the jungle.
He was afraid of the jungle; uncanny noises that were indeed frightful
came forth from its recesses--the tangled mazes of the mysterious
country back of the beach.
But if Gust was afraid of the jungle he was far more afraid of Kai
Shang and Momulla. The dangers of the jungle were more or less
problematical, while the danger that menaced him at the hands of
his companions was a perfectly well-known quantity, which might be
expressed in terms of a few inches of cold steel, or the coil of
a light rope. He had seen Kai Shang garrotte a man at Pai-sha in
a dark alleyway back of Loo Kotai's place.
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