Henry Milner Rideout

“ He had followed them to these ruins: to steal a cat, and meet his death. Why?
Why indeed? The thief sprawled among the vines, tawny as the lifeless ground, agape, mysterious, inaccessible.
There was nothing more to do. Retreating slowly from the rebuke of that presence, Owen turned the corner of the wall.
"Come," he said. They moved off among the ancient mounds, the air before them dancing in blurs of heat. The girl shivered slightly, paused as for breath:
"Was it—?" she whispered. "Did he do it?"
"No," said Owen, as though she had named the guide aloud. "No, I hope—I think not. ”

“ This, then, was the coolie whom Borkman had menaced outside the pawnbroker's shop.
Gently, in a nausea of repugnance, he turned the body over. As it rolled limply on its back, something scratched his hand. The queue bristled with long, sharp pins. Oil shone on the naked chest. Scarlett whistled thoughtfully: "Came prepared, didn't he? Regular burglar's make-up." The Mongol face, more inscrutable even than in life, gaped at the blazing sky, idiotic and daunting. He had been run almost through the body, pierced as if by a lance. ”

“ The tartness of her tone made Chao Phya regard her gravely with his goblin eyes. He stretched, rubbed himself against the wall in a slant, voluptuous curve, and lay down at the edge of the shadow in the doorway.
"After tiffin we shall all be livelier," said Owen cheerfully. "It's been a hard pull in this heat."
Borkman was busily opening the baskets—the picture of a genial comedian playing at butler.
The tinkle of soda-bottles, and the harsh crackle of dry palm-tops in the hot breeze, disturbed the dreamy noon. ”

“ The great tide turned in flood, making the launch labour slowly; the cool darkness of the East fell at a blow; and the easy slumber of the East at last overcame the tired women. Yet now and then they woke, with weary murmurs of delight, at some picture fleeting past: a tug whipping up-river an endless string of rice-boats, each with a ruddy fire that lighted up the brown legs of a squatting circle, and each leaving a pungent wake of cookery and sour betel ”

“ Among the baskets Chao Phya and the coolie bearer dozed together; Aunt Julia and the guide were returning at a distance.
"Remember—don't show that anything is up," whispered Owen.
It was a silent company that jogged back to the living Ayuthia. Aunt Julia's one comment expressed the general desire: "Let us go back to civilization as soon as possible." So Borman cantered on ahead to see that their launch should have steam up. At the outskirts of the village he cantered back again, calling:
"To your left, please! We'll ride straight to the landing. I have boys to take the ponies home." ”

“ He swung before them towards the river.
"Very thoughtful, isn't he?" sighed Aunt Julia. "But we should thank that kind young officer."
"I'll go," said Owen. He had already reined about.
In the verandah of barracks the young Dane looked up from inspecting Mannlicher carbines. Handsome and impassive, he saluted, bowed gravely to the message of thanks.
"But there's another matter," continued Owen. "Out there in the ruins we found a man killed, the dead body—"
"Ah, yes," interrupted the Dane slowly. "That coolie—We shall find the place, thanks to your—ah—most accurate description. ”