April 13, 1916 
LAND & WATER 
21 
Chaya a Romance 0/ the South Seal.] 
llUtulrated by Joeeph Simpeom, R.B.A. 
" Saji and Chava watched through the trees 
never entered it ; she knew that it was a haunt of evil spirits, 
and the Dyak blood in her veins and vague old traditions in 
her mind made the place repellent to her. But Houghton 
had gone in there to his death, and without hesitation she 
followed, just as the iron filing follows the magnet. 
Chaya knew nothing about love, she had never even 
considered the name of the thing. When Saji had shown his 
feelings towards her she had repelled his advances as she 
would have repelled the fawning of a dog ; he had never 
'ressed them. 
Once, and once only, he had stroked her arm and she had 
flung his liand away angry at his action, but not knowing in 
ihe least the real cause of her anger. With Houghton it was 
different. Since first seeing him he had never been out of lier 
mmd. He was something quite new. A man like Wiart or 
the rubber traders, who had sometimes come to the village 
but, somehow, absolutely different. Wiart had also made 
advances to her. Wiart in fact had once tried to kiss her and she 
had repelled him just as she had repelled Saji and just as uncon- 
sciously and without knowledge of the evil she was repelhng 
But Houghton seemed to her a different being from 
these, not only on account of his good looks, which pleased her 
but on account of his personahty and his power to call her to' 
him and hold her thoughts. 
The thought that he was in danger raised i .: her a leehng 
of dread as though the danger threatened herself —as to what 
became of Tillman or Hull, she did not care in the least 
When she entered the thorn tangle the others had trot 
