the treasure in_the forest

by H .G .Wells

the canoe was now approaching the land . the bay opened out, and a gap in_the white surf of_the reef marked where the little river ran out to_the sea; the thicker and deeper green of_the virgin forest showed its course down the distant hill slope . the forest here came close to_the beach . far beyond, dim and almost cloudlike in texture, rose the mountains, like suddenly frozen waves . the sea was still save for an almost imperceptible swell . the sky blazed .

the man with_the carved paddle stopped ." it should_be somewhere here," he_said . he shipped the paddle and held his arms out straight before him .

the other man had_been in_the fore part of_the canoe, closely scrutinising the land . he had a sheet of yellow paper on_his knee .

" come and look at_this, Evans," he_said .

both men spoke in low tones, and their lips were hard and dry .

the man called Evans came swaying along the canoe until he_could look over his companion's shoulder .

the paper had the appearance of a rough map . by much folding it_was creased and worn to_the pitch of separation, and_the second man held the discoloured fragments together where they had parted . on_it one could dimly make out, in almost obliterated pencil, the outline of_the bay .

" here," said Evans, " is_the reef, and here_is_the gap ." he ran his thumb- nail over the chart .

" this curved and twisting line is_the river-- I_could do with a drink now ! -- and this star is_the place ."

" you_see this dotted line," said the man with_the map; " it_is a straight line, and runs from_the opening of_the reef to a clump of palm-trees . the star comes just where it cuts the river . we_must mark the place as_we go into_the lagoon ."

" it's queer," said Evans, after a pause, " what these little marks down here are for . it looks like the plan of a house or something; but what all these little dashes, pointing this_way and_that, may mean I_can't get a notion . and what's the writing ? "

" Chinese," said the man with_the map .

" of_course ! he_was aChinee," said Evans .

" they all were," said the man with_the map .

they both sat for some minutes staring at_the land, while the canoe drifted slowly . then Evans looked towards the paddle .

" your turn with_the paddle now, hooker," said he .

and_his companion quietly folded up his map, put it in_his pocket, passed Evans carefully, and began to paddle . his movements were languid, like those of a man whose strength was nearly exhausted .

Evans sat with_his eyes half closed, watching the frothy breakwater of_the coral creep nearer and nearer . the sky was like a furnace, for_the sun was near the zenith . though they were so near the treasure he_did_not feel the exaltation he had anticipated . the intense excitement of_the struggle for_the plan, and_the long night voyage from_the mainland in_the unprovisioned canoe had, to use his own expression, " taken it out of him ." he tried to arouse himself by directing his mind to_the ingots the Chinamen had spoken of, but it would_not rest there; it came back headlong to_the thought of sweet water rippling in_the river, and to_the almost unendurable dryness of_his lips and throat . the rhythmic wash of_the sea upon_the reef was becoming audible now, and it had a pleasant sound in_his ears; the water washed along the side of_the canoe, and_the paddle dripped between each stroke . presently he began to doze .

he_was still dimly conscious of_the island, but a queer dream texture interwove with_his sensations . once again it was_the night when he and hooker had hit upon_the Chinamen's secret; he_saw the moonlit trees, the little fire burning, and_the black figures of_the three Chinamen-- silvered on one side by moonlight, and on_the other glowing from_the firelight-- and heard them talking together in pigeon- English-- for they came from different provinces . hooker had caught the drift of_their talk first, and had motioned to him to listen .Fragments of_the conversation were inaudible, and fragments incomprehensible .a Spanish galleon from_the Philippines hopelessly aground, and its treasure buried against the day of return, lay in_the background of_the story; ashipwrecked crew thinned by disease, a quarrel or so, and_the needs of discipline, and at last taking to_their boats never to_be heard of again . then Chang-hi, only a year since, wandering ashore, had happened upon_the ingots hidden for two hundred years, had deserted his junk, and reburied them with infinite toil, single- handed but very safe . he laid great stress on_the safety-- it_was a secret of_his . now he_wanted help to return and exhume them . presently the little map fluttered and_the voices sank .a fine story for two, stranded British wastrels to hear ! Evans' dream shifted to_the moment when he had Chang-hi's pigtail in_his hand . the life of aChinaman is scarcely sacred like a European's . the cunning little face of Chang-hi, first keen and furious like a startled snake, and then fearful, treacherous, and pitiful, became overwhelmingly prominent in_the dream . at_the end Chang-hi had grinned, a most incomprehensible and startling grin . abruptly things became very unpleasant, as_they_will do at times in dreams .Chang-hi gibbered and threatened him . he_saw in_his dream heaps and heaps of gold, and Chang-hi intervening and struggling to hold him back from_it . he_took Chang-hi by_the Pig- tail-- how big the yellow brute was, and how he struggled and grinned ! he kept growing bigger, too . then the bright heaps of gold turned to aroaring furnace, and a vast devil, surprisingly like Chang-hi, but with a huge black tail, began to feed him with coals . they burnt his mouth horribly . another devil was shouting his name: "Evans, Evans, you sleepy fool ! "-- or was_it hooker ?

he woke up . they were in_the mouth of_the lagoon .

" there_are the three palm-trees . it must_be in a line with_that clump of bushes," said his companion ." mark that . if_we, go to_those bushes and then strike into_the bush in a straight line from here, we_shall come to_it when we come to_the stream ."

they_could see now where the mouth of_the stream opened out . at_the sight of it Evans revived ." hurry up, man," he_said, " or by heaven I_shall_have to drink sea water ! " he gnawed his hand and stared at_the gleam of silver among_the rocks and green tangle .

presently he turned almost fiercely upon hooker ." give_me the paddle," he_said .

so they reached the river mouth .a little way up hooker took some water in_the hollow of_his hand, tasted it, and spat it out .a little further he tried again ." this_will do," he_said, and_they began drinking eagerly .

" curse this ! " said Evans suddenly ." it's too slow ." and, leaning dangerously over the fore part of_the canoe, he began to suck up the water with_his lips .

presently they made an end of drinking, and, running the canoe into a little creek, were about to land among_the thick growth that overhung the water .

" we_shall_have to scramble through_this to_the beach to_find our bushes and get the line to_the place," said Evans .

" we had better paddle round," said hooker .

so they pushed out again into_the river and paddled back down it to_the sea, and along the shore to_the place where the clump of bushes grew . here they landed, pulled the light canoe far up the beach, and then went up towards the edge of_the jungle until they_could see the opening of_the reef and_the bushes in a straight line .Evans had taken a native implement out_of_the canoe . it_was L- shaped, and_the transverse piece was armed with polished stone . hooker carried the paddle ." it_is straight now in_this direction," said he; " we_must push through_this till we strike the stream . then we_must prospect ."

they pushed through a close tangle of reeds, broad fronds, and young trees, and at first it_was toilsome going, but very speedily the trees became larger and_the ground beneath them opened out . the blaze of_the sunlight was replaced by insensible degrees by cool shadow . the trees became at last vast pillars that rose up_to a canopy of greenery far overhead . dim white flowers hung from their stems, and ropy creepers swung from tree to tree . the shadow deepened . on_the ground, blotched fungi and a red- brown incrustation became frequent .

Evans shivered ." it seems almost cold here after_the blaze outside ."

" I_hope we_are keeping to_the straight," said hooker .

presently they saw, far ahead, a gap in_the sombre darkness where white shafts of hot sunlight smote into_the forest . there also was brilliant green undergrowth and coloured flowers . then they heard the rush of water .

" here_is_the river . we_should_be close to_it now," said hooker .

the vegetation was thick by_the river bank . great plants, as_yet unnamed, grew among_the roots of_the big trees, and spread rosettes of huge green fans towards the strip of sky . many flowers and a creeper with shiny foliage clung to_the exposed stems . on_the water of_the broad, quiet pool which the treasure-seekers now overlooked there floated big oval leaves and a waxen, pinkish- white flower not unlike a water- lily . further, as_the river bent away from_them, the water suddenly frothed and became noisy in a rapid .

" well ? " said Evans .

" we_have swerved a little from_the straight," said hooker ." that was to_be expected ."

he turned and looked into_the dim cool shadows of_the silent forest behind them ." if_we beat a little way up and down the stream we_should come to something ."

" you said--" began Evans .

"_He said there_was a heap of stones," said hooker .

the two men looked at each_other for a moment .

" let_us try a little down- stream first," said Evans .

they advanced slowly, looking curiously about_them . suddenly Evans stopped ." what the devil's that ? " he_said .

hooker followed his finger ." something blue," he_said . it had come into view as_they topped a gentle swell of_the ground . then he began to distinguish what it_was .

he advanced suddenly with hasty steps, until the body that belonged to_the limp hand and arm had become visible . his grip tightened on_the implement he carried . the thing was_the figure of aChinaman lying on_his face . the _abandon of_the pose was unmistakable .

the two men drew closer together, and stood staring silently at_this ominous dead body . it lay in a clear space among_the trees . near by was a spade after_the Chinese pattern, and further off lay a scattered heap of stones, close to a freshly dug hole .

" somebody has_been here before," said hooker, clearing his throat .

then suddenly Evans began to swear and rave, and stamp upon_the ground .

hooker turned white but said nothing . he advanced towards the prostrate body . he_saw the neck was puffed and purple, and_the hands and ankles swollen ."Pah ! " he_said, and suddenly turned away and went towards the excavation . he_gave a cry of surprise . he shouted to Evans, who was following him slowly .

" you fool ! it's all right . it's here still ." then he turned again and looked at_the dead Chinaman, and then again at_the hole .

Evans hurried to_the hole . already half exposed by_the ill- fated wretch beside them lay a number of dull yellow bars . he bent down in_the hole, and, clearing off the soil with_his bare hands, hastily pulled one_of_the heavy masses out . as he_did so a little thorn pricked his hand . he pulled the delicate spike out with_his fingers and lifted the ingot .

" only gold or lead could weigh like this," he_said exultantly .

hooker was still looking at_the dead Chinaman . he_was puzzled .

" he stole a march on_his friends," he_said at last ." he_came here alone, and some poisonous snake has killed him .. .I wonder how he_found the place ."

Evans stood with_the ingot in_his hands . what did a dead Chinaman signify ? " we_shall_have to_take this stuff to_the mainland piecemeal, and bury it there for a while . how shall we get it to_the canoe ? "

he_took his jacket off and spread it on_the ground, and flung two_or_three ingots into_it . presently he_found that another little thorn had punctured his skin .

" this_is as_much as_we_can carry," said he . then suddenly, with a queer rush of irritation, " what_are you staring at ? "

hooker turned to him ." I_can't stand him .. ." he nodded towards the corpse ." it's so like----"

" rubbish ! " said Evans ." all Chinamen are alike ."

hooker looked into his face ."I'm going to bury that_, anyhow, before I lend a hand with_this stuff ."

"Don't be a fool, hooker," said Evans, " let that mass of corruption bide ."

hooker hesitated, and then his eye went carefully over the brown soil about_them ." it scares me somehow," he_said .

" the thing is," said Evans, " what to_do with_these ingots . shall we re- bury them over here, or take them across the strait in_the canoe ? "

hooker thought . his puzzled gaze wandered among_the tall tree-trunks, and up into_the remote sunlit greenery overhead . he shivered again as his eye rested upon_the blue figure of_the Chinaman . he stared searchingly among_the grey depths between_the trees .

" what's come to_you, hooker ? " said Evans ." have_you lost your wits ? "

" let's get the gold out of_this place, anyhow," said hooker .

he_took the ends of_the collar of_the coat in_his hands, and Evans took the opposite corners, and_they lifted the mass ." which_way ? " said Evans ." to_the canoe ? "

" it's queer," said Evans, when_they had advanced only a few steps, " but my arms ache still with_that paddling ."

" curse it ! " he_said ." but they ache ! I_must rest ."

they let the coat down, Evans' face was white, and little drops of sweat stood out upon his forehead ." it's stuffy, somehow, in_this forest ."

then with an abrupt transition to unreasonable anger: " what_is the good of waiting here all the day ? lend a hand, I_say ! you have_done nothing but moon since we saw the dead Chinaman ."

hooker was looking steadfastly at his companion's face . he helped raise the coat bearing the ingots, and_they went forward perhaps a hundred yards in silence .Evans began to breathe heavily ." can't you speak ? " he_said .

" what's the matter with_you ? " said hooker .

Evans stumbled, and then with a sudden curse flung the coat from_him . he stood for a moment staring at hooker, and then with a groan clutched at his own throat .

"Don't come near me," he_said, and went and leant against a tree . then in a steadier voice, "I'll be better in a minute ."

presently his grip upon_the trunk loosened, and he slipped slowly down the stem of_the tree until he_was a crumpled heap at its foot . his hands were clenched convulsively . his face became distorted with pain . hooker approached him .

"Don't touch me ! Don't touch me ! " said Evans in a stifled voice ." put the gold back on_the coat ."

" can't I_do anything for_you ? " said hooker .

" put the gold back on_the coat ."

as hooker handled the ingots he_felt a little prick on_the ball of_his thumb . he looked at his hand and saw a slender thorn, perhaps two inches in length .

Evans gave an inarticulate cry and rolled over .

hooker's jaw dropped . he stared at_the thorn for a moment with dilated eyes . then he looked at Evans, who was now crumpled together on_the ground, his back bending and straightening spasmodically . then he looked through_the pillars of_the trees and net- work of creeper stems, to where in_the dim grey shadow the blue-clad body of_the Chinaman was still indistinctly visible . he thought of_the little dashes in_the corner of_the plan, and in a moment he understood .

" god help me ! " he_said . for_the thorns were similar to_those the Dyaks poison and use in their blowing-tubes . he understood now what Chang-hi's assurance of_the safety of_his treasure meant . he understood that grin now .

"Evans ! " he cried .

but Evans was silent and motionless, save for a horrible spasmodic twitching of_his limbs .a profound silence brooded over the forest .

then hooker began to suck furiously at_the little pink spot on_the ball of_his thumb--sucking for dear life . presently he_felt a strange aching pain in_his arms and shoulders, and_his fingers seemed difficult to bend . then he_knew that sucking was no good .

abruptly he stopped, and sitting down by_the pile of ingots, and resting his chin upon his hands and_his elbows upon his knees, stared at_the distorted but still quivering body of_his companion .Chang-hi's grin came into his mind again . the dull pain spread towards his throat and grew slowly in intensity . far above him a faint breeze stirred the greenery, and_the white petals of some unknown flower came floating down through_the gloom .