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and could be brought down only by a dose of shot。 It was for this
purpose that Sagawa had carried the ten…gauge shot…gun。
Two days and nights he had spent crawling across that belt of grass
land。 He had suffered much； but pursuit had ceased at the jungle…
edge。 And he would have died of thirst had not a heavy
thunderstorm revived him on the second day。
And then had come Balatta。 In the first shade； where the savannah
yielded to the dense mountain jungle； he had collapsed to die。 At
first she had squealed with delight at sight of his helplessness；
and was for beating his brain out with a stout forest branch。
Perhaps it was his very utter helplessness that had appealed to
her； and perhaps it was her human curiosity that made her refrain。
At any rate； she had refrained； for he opened his eyes again under
the impending blow； and saw her studying him intently。 What
especially struck her about him were his blue eyes and white skin。
Coolly she had squatted on her hams； spat on his arm； and with her
finger…tips scrubbed away the dirt of days and nights of muck and
jungle that sullied the pristine whiteness of his skin。
And everything about her had struck him especially； although there
was nothing conventional about her at all。 He laughed weakly at
the recollection； for she had been as innocent of garb as Eve
before the fig…leaf adventure。 Squat and lean at the same time；
asymmetrically limbed； string…muscled as if with lengths of
cordage； dirt…caked from infancy save for casual showers； she was
as unbeautiful a prototype of woman as he； with a scientist's eye；
had ever gazed upon。 Her breasts advertised at the one time her
maturity and youth； and； if by nothing else； her sex was advertised
by the one article of finery with which she was adorned； namely a
pig's tail； thrust though a hole in her left ear…lobe。 So lately
had the tail been severed； that its raw end still oozed blood that
dried upon her shoulder like so much candle…droppings。 And her
face！ A twisted and wizened complex of apish features； perforated
by upturned； sky…open； Mongolian nostrils； by a mouth that sagged
from a huge upper…lip and faded precipitately into a retreating
chin； by peering querulous eyes that blinked as blink the eyes of
denizens of monkey…cages。
Not even the water she brought him in a forest…leaf； and the
ancient and half…putrid chunk of roast pig； could redeem in the
slightest the grotesque hideousness of her。 When he had eaten
weakly for a space； he closed his eyes in order not to see her；
although again and again she poked them open to peer at the blue of
them。 Then had come the sound。 Nearer； much nearer； he knew it to
be； and he knew equally well； despite the weary way he had come；
that it was still many hours distant。 The effect of it on her had
been startling。 She cringed under it； with averted face； moaning
and chattering with fear。 But after it had lived its full life of
an hour； he closed his eyes and fell asleep with Balatta brushing
the flies from him。
When he awoke it was night； and she was gone。 But he was aware of
renewed strength； and； by then too thoroughly inoculated by the
mosquito poison to suffer further inflammation； he closed his eyes
and slept an unbroken stretch till sun…up。 A little later Balatta
had returned； bringing with her a half…dozen women who； unbeautiful
as they were； were patently not so unbeautiful as she。 She
evidenced by her conduct that she considered him her find； her
property； and the pride she took in showing him off would have been
ludicrous had his situation not been so desperate。
Later； after what had been to him a terrible journey of miles； when
he collapsed in front of the devil…devil house in the shadow of the
breadfruit tree； she had shown very lively ideas on the matter of
retaining possession of him。 Ngurn； whom Bassett was to know
afterward as the devil…devil doctor； priest； or medicine man of the
village； had wanted his head。 Others of the grinning and
chattering monkey…men； all as stark of clothes and bestial of
appearance as Balatta； had wanted his body for the roasting oven。
At that time he had not understood their language； if by LANGUAGE
might be dignified the uncouth sounds they made to represent ideas。
But Bassett had thoroughly understood the matter of debate；
especially when the men pressed and prodded and felt of the flesh
of him as if he were so much commodity in a butcher's stall。
Balatta had been losing the debate rapidly； when the accident
happened。 One of the men； curiously examining Bassett's shot…gun；
managed to cock and pull a trigger。 The recoil of the butt into
the pit of the man's stomach had not been the most sanguinary
result； for the charge of shot； at a distance of a yard； had blown
the head of one of the debaters into nothingness。
Even Balatta joined the others in flight； and； ere they returned；
his senses already reeling from the oncoming fever…attack； Bassett
had regained possession of the gun。 Whereupon； although his teeth
chattered with the ague and his swimming eyes could scarcely see；
he held on to his fading consciousness until he could intimidate
the bushmen with the simple magics of compass； watch； burning
glass； and matches。 At the last； with due emphasis； of solemnity
and awfulness； he had killed a young pig with his shot…gun and
promptly fainted。
Bassett flexed his arm…muscles in quest of what possible strength
might reside in such weakness； and dragged himself slowly and
totteringly to his feet。 He was shockingly emaciated； yet； during
the various convalescences of the many months of his long sickness；
he had never regained quite the same degree of strength as this
time。 What he feared was another relapse such as he had already
frequently experienced。 Without drugs； without even quinine； he
had managed so far to live through a combination of the most
pernicious and most malignant of malarial and black…water fevers。
But could he continue to endure？ Such was his everlasting query。
For； like the genuine scientist he was； he would not be content to
die until he had solved the secret of the sound。
Supported by a staff； he staggered the few steps to the devil…devil
house where death and Ngurn reigned in gloom。 Almost as infamously
dark and evil…stinking as the jungle was the devil…devil house … in
Bassett's opinion。 Yet therein was usually to be found his
favourite crony and gossip； Ngurn； always willing for a yarn or a
discussion； the while he sat in the ashes of death and in a slow
smoke shrewdly revolved curing human heads suspended from the
rafters。 For； through the months' interval of consciousness of his
long sickness； Bassett had mastered the psychological simplicities
and lingual difficulties of the language of the tribe of Ngurn and
Balatta and Vngngn … the latter the addle…headed young chief who
was ruled by Ngurn； and who； whispered intrigue had it； was the son
of