Adventure Magazine Cover — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

Mashilugi’s Mucklucks there he calmly waited, while he observed proceedings ashore through binoculars. He smiled a bit grimly at the eloquent gestures of the hotheads and half-hoped they would attack. Incidentally he was highly pleased with himse::. It had been a brilliant idea, quite worthy of some of his affairs in the South Seas and it seemed good once more to hold the whip-hand. Of course Madison would hear of it, because as Pete told his mate, ‘“The fool will stop on the way back in hopes the tribe will be ready to do bus- iness—unless he gets caught in the ice.” Pete had a fair idea of the outburst that would follow inasmuch as Madison was strictly opposed to such tactics. Perhaps they would meet some time. When that happened Pete guessed he should be pre- pared for ’most anything and so resolved. (oS soon realized that his chances of reaching the village were as remote as the locality itself. Below decks he had stowed several bales of pelts and some ivory that he had picked up at the different vil- lages, but the schooner-load he had dreamed of was far from a reality. Old Mashlugi had been his best bet when he had sailed for the arctic, and the old fellow had failed to respond. _ ‘“‘A half-loaf is better than no loaf,” he grumbled as he picked up familiar land- marks on the homeward-bound voyage. “But just the same I'll drop in on the old and see if he realizes yet that it is not as easy to profiteer in the arctic as it is in the States.” ° His stanch schooner had barely nosed about the cape when he noted something amiss. Lying some distance offshore was the Cleo and a few minutes after the Jury hove in sight, the Cleo began a hurried re- treat. At the same time a bidarka put out from the beach, and never in native races had Madison seen such frantic paddling. His glasses swept from the schooner to the approaching skin-boat and then back to the beach. Here was excitement of the highest degree. “T think,’ remarked Madison calmly, “that something has happencd not strictly in order. If such is the case, I think some- thing more is going to happen. Just for preparedness’ sake you might break out a few rifles and pistols. We may need ’em, considering that friend Pete is a bit care- WELL versed in ice-lore, Madison 67 less with such things when he finds himself in a box.”’ The mate grinned and departed. It looked to him very much as if the long expected and discussed ‘‘meeting” between Madison and Black Pete was about to take place—attended possibly with fireworks. Madison brought his schooner to a stand- still and permitted the two natives to board. Then hoisting their ight craft to the deck, he continued on at full speed. Old Mash- lugi himself was chattering excitedly al- most before he reached the deck and the chatter continued, with many a fierce ges- ture, until he reached Madison—then it increased. Despite a rather broad knowl- edge of the dialect, Madison found him- self unable to catch the cause of the out- burst. And then he knew. A glance at Mashlugi’s feet and limbs, barren of muck- lucks, was sufficient—even eloquent. “Who took ’em?” he demanded. “Now take it easy, Mashlugi, and it’ll all come out right. Tl get your mucklucks back for you!” Mashlugi nodded vigorously, indicatin he expected Madison would do that very thing. In fact he seemed to consider the deed as good as done and calmed down sufficiently to tell a fairly connected ac- count of the outrage. The chase that followed was long and stern. Madison had more speed—that he knew—but the Cleo had a good lead and had increased it when Madison had slowed down for the bidarka. Presently the Siberian coast-line slipped down below the horizon and the two schooners were alone with the ice and the black waters of the arctic. The Afury’s bow was nosing past the Cleo’s stern too close for comfort when Black Pete broke a silence, previously un- broken save by the rush of water about the vessels’ bows and the rumble of the motors below decks. “Keep off, I warn you, keep away!” he shouted through his cupped hands. ‘Hand over those mucklucks!” retorted Madison. A crafty expression flashed over Pete’s face for an instant. They might settle the affair with arms, with which both craft were plentifully supplied, but there was foo much chance of his receiving a punctured skin in such an argument to suit Pete. It was self-evident that Madison could not board the C7eo in a smal] boat so long as she CO MICLMOOOKS C©