Adventure Magazine Cover — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

Adventure * Unconscious of the bruise, he followed the telltale squeak of the warped boards until he knew he must be at the end of the garret. Then directly ahead of him he heard her. He advanced confidently and found himself __ between two high walls of discarded furnishings, the general miscellany of a garret. She had taken refuge in a cul-de-sac, and he opened his arms wide. A low, mocking laugh, and the entire mass of heaped-up relics and heirlooms came crashing down upon him. She had lured him there and from the opposite side of the mass had pushed it upon him. Again her low laughter, and with a mighty heave of his strong shoulders he tossed the odds and ends aside and plunged through the débris and after her. She laughed no more, as the pursuit was re- newed more quickly than she had dreamed could be possible. As she went through the _ door she slammed it behind her, the panels smashing against his nose. . With a drive of his rifle-butt he sent the door flying open and gained the head of the stairs. She was decending on the run and had no time to practise stealth. He leaped recklessly, clearing neatly the whole flight. His heel caught on a tread, pre- cipitating him headlong, his rifle flying to one side. He would have collided with her had she not turned at right angles; as it was his pawing hands stripped loose her long cloak. He got to his knees when hewas seized in a powerful grasp. This was no maid who sought his throat. Striking the savage hands apart, he came to his. feet and closed in on the un- known. They were about equally matched, but the ranger was mad to discover the girl and the man together. With an oath and wrench he flung the man about. They struck a door that readily gave way, and were in a small apartment lighted by a single candle. Skilled in the ferocious border style of wrestling, Willis had the man on his hands and knees the moment they went through the door- way. Grunting viciously, he began to draw the man’s arm up behind his back, and for the first time noticed the brilliant scarlet uniform. With his left hand he clawed into the fellow’s forehead and yanked back his head and got a glimpse of his features. “Good ——! Sergeant Champers! Blues. = With a worrying sound like a wildcat tor- menting his prey he might have killed his man with his bare hands had not the fellow managed to yell out: “Help! For France! “Pll help you, you —— spy,” growled Willis, grabbing for his windpipe and tearing open the coat. A folded paper fell out and he caught it up Jersey ~? and thrust it inside his coat, at the same time using his own head as a ram and jamming the fellow’s face into the floor. “Help! For France!” gasped the spy. There was a movement. behind Willis, but before he could turn his head he received a blow that sent the world dark for a second. “Come! There are men at the front door,” warned the girl’s voice, sounding far off. Let me breathe!’ choked the spy, staggering to his feet and dawns at his oat. “The back door or we're caught. This soldier— Why, he’s no soldier!” With a little scream she dropped beside him. Although: half-stunned Willis was conscious of her presence. He felt a slim, firm hand slip under his neck, then a round arm was cradling his head. The spy must have extinguished the light, for Willis could not see her, although he opened his eyes. His lips formed her name, but he could not tell whether he spoke aloud or not. But unless his ears were playing him tricks she was whispering: “Dear lad! Poor lad!” And for a heavenly moment his head rested against her breast and soft lips were touching - his thin cheek. He struggled to a sitting posture and threw out his arms to find her and. saw faces staring at him through the doorway. As his wits re- turned he saw these were citizens. “What is the matter with you? What are you doing in the house of Jan the Roguer: suspiciously demanded a man. Willis got to his feet and looked about cn By the light of the tiny candle hé observed he was in a small room which had no windows, and decided it had been the secret den of Jan Lidindick, who had had no intention of being spied upon. Besides the door through which the neighbors were watching him there was another at the back of the small compartment. He threw it open and a current of fresh night air soothed his hot head. “Who are you? Why are you here in the house of a dead man?” repeated a citizen. “Softly, softly, friend,’ mumbled Willis. “The devil’s to pay.” With this blind avowal he dterpered toward the group, which fell back, intimidated by his bruised and bleeding countenance and wild gaze. Ignoring them, he found his rifle at the foot of the stairs and without any further explanation passed out of the front door. His brain still throbbed with the marvel of it all, and his one desire was to find her again and make sure his brief Elysian experience was real and not a prank of his befuddled senses. Next his sturdy common sense began arranging the whole scene of the adventure and refused COL <S) Ghoo (E@)