Dark Tales from the Long River by David Price

Author:David Price [Price, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fremantle Press
Published: 2021-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

THE PANIC SPREADS

Earlier, when Ah Saw had left Ah Tue and Tunnie’s shack, he had walked the short distance back to Ah Lee’s shared hut, where he’d hoped to find Ah Hook. To his dismay, he found that his friend had not yet returned. Recalling Ah Lee’s earlier prediction, Ah Saw feared the worst, but figured it was now too late in the evening to do much more than cross the dry riverbed and return to his own home by Yanget Pool.

Ah Lee had another suggestion: ‘Stay for a smoke of opium,’ he said to Ah Saw.15 But the words had barely passed his lips when the sound of a gunshot split the night air. Both men’s heads spun towards the direction of Ah Tue’s house. Ah Lee, not waiting to find out what was going on, ran off into the safety of the darkness. Ah Saw grabbed his lantern and began to make his way hurriedly back to where he could hear Tunnie screaming, ‘Ah Tue! Ah Tue!’ People were now emerging from the shadows, appearing in doorways, peering through windows and fearfully questioning each shadowy passer-by. As Ah Saw drew closer to the source of the cries, a sense of panic swirled up inside him and he, too, turned tail and rushed from the scene.

The market gardener who lived next door to Ah Tue’s shack was none other than Ah Kee, the man who had stolen Tunnie’s heart from the bereft Ah Hook. He called after Ah Saw: ‘What’s the matter?’ But there was no reply, only the sound of footsteps disappearing into the blackness.

Ah Kee then ran towards his neighbour’s house. The sight that confronted him there was of Tunnie’s now lifeless body on the floor, an overturned lantern beside her and, in the light of its gathering flames, the outline of a man raising his revolver. The gunman, face to face with his rival in love, pulled the trigger and Ah Kee, mortally wounded, staggered away into the surrounding market gardens. The murderer briefly dashed after him but quickly thought better of it and returned to the burning house.

By this time Ah Saw had arrived back at Ah Lee’s shack and, on hearing the final shot, assumed the worst—this time correctly. ‘Now he has shot Ah Kee!’ he cried. The two men ran to Carnarvon police station to raise the alarm.

At the crime scene, the fire from the lamp was spreading quickly and soon the small shanty was ablaze. As a flurry of upraised voices made their way towards the flames, Ah Hook disappeared into the surrounding darkness and, still carrying his gun, began to walk slowly back towards Carnarvon. When he reached the Settler’s Hotel he stepped calmly into the bar and ordered himself a drink.

By the time Sergeant Houlihan arrived on the scene with one of his constables and local doctor James Ryland Hickinbotham, Ah Tue’s shack had almost burned to the ground and the air was thick with the smell of smoke and burning flesh.

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