Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 215: what you’re looking at

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

A Man and His Deeds ending at your mark ‘Pedro’s casa.’ Your main trail ends in the Pothole—or what should be the main trail according to Pablo. The others straggle off hell west and crooked, one to Lake Lanao, another’ toward Pam- panguay, another to the Cota Bato. Ac- cording to your map, then, the only way I can reach Dato Pedro is to march this column around this circuitous trail away off to the west of the Pothole, making the trip about ten miles farther than it should be according to the main trail on the Span- ish map.’ For a moment the boy paused on the verge of telling the General of the landslide. But the Tail Twister was glaring at him as if he considered him a liar, or a fool, or both. “The maps can speak for themselves— and me,” he vowed inwardly. Aloud he said, “They are all correctly mapped as I found them, sir.’ “With the main trail ending in the Pot- hole?” “Yes, sir.” The Brigadier looked undecided. He glanced from Gordon to Don Pablo. “Look here, Don Pablo,” he suddenly demanded, “how long did you soldier up there with the Spanish?” “T saldado tres anno this place,” replied the Tagalog with dignity. “By gad, that settles it, then. You should know what you’re talking about.” And the General gave the command to move on. During the space of a second, Gordon fought hard for self-control. In the next breath he could have laughed in his com- mander’s face. - “Tet him march in and run into that in- surmountable wall,’ exulted the bitter youth as they marched along. “By gad! I’ll have something to grin over when he has me cashiered, anyhow.” am TFLTAVING been ordered to cover the fem left flank rear with his company, 4a he was forced, for the next three hours, to cut his way with the machete through the vine-choked bosquet on the left of the main trail. At the end of this time, the nature of the country made him closein on the trail, which he reached near the entrance of the Pothole. An orderly awaited him; and far down the cafion he could see Bunga’s company just 213 making a turn. They had already closed in from their position on the right flank rear and were following the main column down the chasm. “The General’s compliments, sir,’ said the orderly, “‘and the left flank rear will examine this trail down to the river cajion, and then return and follow the main body through the Pothole.” Gordon acknowledged the order, and turned his company at once to the left. The trail in question branched from the old main route, proceeding downward and in a southeasterly direction for a quarter of a mile to the bed of the Argus River. The first half passed through woods, while the last half cut its way through a narrow, rocky gorge. ‘This ran practically level to a point two hundred yards from the edge of the water. Here it dropped precipi- tately down a slope devoid of tree or boulder. On the opposite side of the ford it shot up again into dense woods, and wound on away to Lake Lanao in. the southeast. With his little men behind him, Gordon went swinging along into the narrow cut between the rock ledges. Suddenly, chancing to glance to the left, he saw several brown figures scurrying from rock to rock in the direction of the river. “By gad!” he muttered, as his men cried out behind him. ‘We may see a little fun, after all. up the side there, and pot those fellows! Companee—double-time—ho!”’ At the first shot from Sergeant Khava, the Moro scouts threw aside all effort at concealment, ‘and ran yelling toward the ford. Their calls awakened a roar that quickened Gordon’s fdotsteps. He rushed to the end of the cut to gaze upon a sight that stopped him dead in his tracks. He saw the whole plan in a flash. With their foremost men already splashing through the water, a horde of warriors trooped down from the dense growth on the opposite side. Dato Pedro, tall, broad- shouldered, and belted with gold, stalked with all the dignity of a fierce old warrior at their head. With the landslide to aid him, he had de- Sergeant Khava, take five men liberately hidden his men until the General - and the main column were safely into the Pothole. Now he intended to spread his horde on either side and surround them. Due to Gordon’s. delay in the bosquet, he (eC) JOO AANKCS cS (E@)