Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 191: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Story of William Hyde deserve it, for that I know, because a similar fate almost befell me. It seems as though misfortunes have come to all of us; for it is long since the Poonan went about whisper- ing. It seems almost as if the Green, Green God were stolen from the Dobo and misfor- tunes blowing upon us, as it comes to life!’ One of the three men made a hasty sign of remonstrance. “Nda, ndal”’ admitted the Gunner as he passed on. “TI know it is not that the god has been stolen; it is no fault of the god. : It is only the fault of the Man-Child, our King. Since he came we all have been whispering, it seems, and going about as though frightened. I do not know zs But I could hear no more; he had passed on out of. ear-shot. I turned thereat and went back through the corridor into the cave. I told Golden Feather of Flame what I last had heard. “The chieftain, Tumbuk Ladda,” I ended, “suspects that something is wrong, alto- gether wrong. And he is very strong in his suspicions. He thinks I have brought all forms of misfortune upon the Poonan. God knows, I have brought misfortunes enough upon you, my bride! But the trouble is that the chieftain says it seems almost as if the Green, Green God were stolen!” She looked bravely up at me. “Akl” she said. ‘‘Bad—that is very bad. But we must not let them know we fear; we must not act like prisoners, but like poten- tates. You had better show yourself to the Poonan; my Raj. Go to the left-hand en- trance, where it will not matter if they enter. Show yourself to them and command them to bring food—we have not eaten since yes- terday—and the effect of a command on them will be well.”’ I nodded, brightening. Surely enough, as she had said, would a command have a good effect upon their suspicious souls. They would either have to lose their sus- picions of me enough to obey me, or else they would have to run counter to my com- mand and show that they dared disobey me. But I did not think they would dare disobey me. For I meant to show them, by the ar- rogance of my command, that I yet was King. I strode to the left-hand entrance. A group of men passing up the avenue, at that moment, saw me; and all in that moment, their faces went long and stiff, as though chiseled in stone, and as though they them- 189 selves were turned completely into stone, they stood stock-still, fascinated. I knew then. Still was I to them the Man-Child of Genghis: Khan, whom they could not help fearing as the destroyer, and whom they could not help kowtowing to as their King. For of a sudden, they got some control of their surprise, and down to the ground nine times they bowed. In the while that they were bowing other groups happening to pass, saw me and joined in the bowing; and in that while, after I had given them plenty of time to bow © to me and thus take to heart the awe of my position, I said: “Quick, some of you! Bring food. Bring water. Bring torches for my cave this night. I command it. I, the Man-Child and your King, command it!” All seemed eager to obey; for the com- mand no sooner had gone forth than all turned and sped away. I stood there then, and for a time I was alone. Before me the Jallan Batoe lay baked and empty, like some beautiful oasis after a plague. But after a time they returned, as many as a round dozen of them—for in numbers is courage. And some bore bundles of long leaves, bunched and prepared as torches; others gourds or kungs of sulphur water; while still others bore rattan baskets and wooden platters heaped with steaming meats, kwe-kwe, or buttered cakes, baked breadfruit, large durian oranges, and the roasted edible seeds of the jackfruit. They were headed by the Gunner who, despite the strength of his suspicions, seemed to have summoned up sufficient courage to lead them. Slowly, hesitantly, they mounted the nine stone stairs beneath me, and laid the foodstuffs and torches upon the stone threshold at my feet. Then, even to the Gunner, all turned tail, and precipi- tantly plunged down the stairs and away. I smiled, picked up what I could of the food and torches and, in several trips, car- ried all inside the cave. I placed the gourds of water, the wooden platters, and — the rattan baskets of food and fruits upon the couch; and then we relaxed our vigilance somewhat, and ate and drank adequately. We went out together then to the bend in the horseshoe-shaped corridor where lay old Mohong. We carried the remainder of the food, still quite a large ration; and we lighted our way with a torch, for the sun was slanting down behind the rim of the val “a Eomicbooks (E(0)