Adventure Magazine Cover — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

* T1I2 “Ts it true that your bees has found where the elephants go to die?” “Yah. I have seen the place. It is a place of evil. The spirit of a dead chief watches over it.’” “And there are many tusks there?” “Yah. Many tusks. The ground is strewn with them like the sand on the river-bed.”’ On the seventh day the Major sent Jim on ahead. © “The place is near here,” he explained to Hawkins. “I have sent Jim to get the porters I engaged for the job on my last trip. We will wait here until he returns with them.” That day passed very slowly, and the next morning Hawkins could no longer con- ceal his impatience. “Let us go to the place,” he suggested. “We could locate the best tusks and save that much time when the porters arrive.” “That’s a good idea,” said the Major, pulling on a pair of rubber hip-boots. ‘Too bad you haven’t a pair of these. You'll need them.” The Major led the way directly into the heart of the jungle. The going was hard and Hawkins, ill-conditioned as he was, had a hard task to keep‘up with the swift: pace set by him. Striking a small spruit, the Major followed its course for about half an hour when, suddenly the jungle opened out into a swampy clearing and directly in front of them lay a large tract of heavily wooded jungle—a sort of island in a swampy sea. “Come on,”’ said the Major. ‘“That’s the place over there.” Then, seeing that Hawkins hesitated as the mire came over his ankles: “Don’t be afraid, old chap. That’s as deep as it gets anywhere save for one or two holes that Pll try to avoid.” With no liking for the thing Hawkins gingerly followed closely in the Major’s footsteps. “This swamp goes all round the island— the Isle of the Dead I call it, but perhaps you don’t know the picture—like a moat. This is the narrowest place across.”’ Once across the narrow swamp Hawkins was anxious to take the lead. “Where now?” “Straight ahead through those two big trees; they———” Hawkins did not wait to hear fhe. but darted eagerly forward, the Major following at a slower pace. _ of the Dead.” Adventure Suddenly Hawkins gave a yell of .fear, and turning, ran back as fast as he could. Behind him, yelling. fiercely, raced a party of savages brandishing ugly-looking spears. Some had guns which they fired as they ran. The Major turned and ran, but the big boots impeded his progress and Hawkins swiftly caught up with him. “T’m hit,” gasped the Major. Hawkins.” | Hawkins gave one look at his blood-soaked shirt, then sped on with increased speed. The Major stumbled after him a few paces, then fell to the ground, his big shoul- “Help me, ders heaving convulsively. Paying him no heed the warriors swept on after the fleeing Hawkins, crying: “Death to the defilers of the grave of a chief. Kill, kill!” At the edge of the swamp the warriors stopped and ~-contented themselves with shaking their spears at Hawkins, who with never a backward glance was soon lost to sight in the thickness of the jungle beyond. Hawkins who crept into Norton’s ‘. camp several days later and told his story. “You are sure the asked. “If he wasn’t killed then they finished him off afterward. The devils meant busi- ness, I tell you.” “Well, he’s out of the way. That makes it easier for us. You’re sure you can find the place again?” “Yes. But you are not going there now, are you?” 1 Hawkins’ voice was panic-stricken. “No, you fool. Vm going back to get a crowd together that will know how to handle the niggers. It'll mean a smaller share for us, but at that there ought to be a fortune in it. Thousands of tusks, the nigger said, didn’t he? Think of it, man, and brace up.” THREE weeks later Norton and Hawkins, accompanied by ten men of their kidney, all heavily armed, crossed over the swampy moat to the “Isle Getting their footing on the “island,” they scouted carefully about, rifles at the ready. Nothing stirred, and save for the droning (e(0) IOOKS Mie IT WAS a weary and frightened is dead?”’ Norton | (E©)