Inheritance and succession -- Fiction; Islands -- Fiction; Love stories; Nobility -- Fiction
"For the past few nights my home has been watched. I want to announce to
you that if I see anybody hanging around the bungalow after to-day, I'm
going to put a bullet through him, just as I would through a dog. Please
bear that in mind. Now, to come down to Von Blitz. You can't drive me
out of this island, old man. You have lied about me ever since I beat
you up that night. You are sacrificing the best interests of these
people in order to gratify a personal spite, in order to wreak a
personal vengeance. Stop! You can talk when I have finished. You have
set spies upon my track. You have told these husbands that their wives
need watching. You have turned them against me and against their wives,
who are as pure and virtuous as the snow which you never see. (God,
forgive me!) All this, my friend, in order to get even with me. I don't
ask you to retract anything you've said. I only intend you to know that
I can crush you as I would a peanut, if you know what that is. You----"
Von Blitz, foaming with rage, broke in: "I suppose you vill call out der
warships! We are not fools! You can fool some of----"
"Now, see here, Von Blitz, I'll show whether I can call out a warship
whenever I need one. I have never intended to ask naval help except in
case of an attack by our enemies up at the château. You can't believe
that I seek to turn those big guns against my own clients--the clients I
came out here to serve with my life's blood if necessary. But, hear me,
you Dutch lobster! I can have a British man-of-war here in ten hours to
take you off this island and hang you from a yard arm on the charge of
conspiracy against the Crown."
Von Blitz and Rasula laughed scornfully and turned to the crowd. The
latter began to harangue his fellows. "This man is a--a--" he began.
"A bluff!" prompted Von Blitz, glaring at his tall accuser.
"A bluff," went on Rasula. "He can do none of these things. Nor can the
Americans at the château. I know that they are liars. They--"
"I'll make you pay for that, Rasula. Your time is short. Men of Japat, I
don't want to serve you unless you trust me--"
A dozen voices cried: "We don't trust you!" "Dog of a Christian! Son of
a snake!" Von Blitz glowed with satisfaction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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