Adventure Magazine Cover — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

IX 30 DORSAY imagined that he was « ek dreaming. The man stood there blinking in the comparative glare with one hand to his brow, his squat shoul- ders humped, glaring around the pit bottom like a bull emerging into an arena. He did not see Dorsay, and his eyes were fixed greedily on the great stack of tusks. An oath ripped from his lips, shattering Dorsay’s sense of illusion. Dorsay was conscious of resentment at the intrusion of this person. He rose. Dorkin heard him and wheeled about, drawing up his gun. Then he stopped and stared. “Blimey!” he ejaculated. ‘Yew!”’ “Yes, I’m here,” answered Dorsay, and, rather surprized at the futility of the ques- tion, added— “What do you want?” Dorkin scowled and looked suspiciously around. He seemed puzzled and uneasy. “Wot d’jew want?” he demanded trucu- lently. ‘“’Ow did yer git ’ere, heh?” “How did you get here?” returned Dor- say, more conscious of practical affairs. “Mee Why, I came ’ere after the splosh,” said Dorkin with a grin, glancing at the ivory. ‘Wot djer fink?—Thort yew wus ’ome by now.” Then he suddenly sidestepped to get the solid wall behind him instead of the cave mouth. Dorsay noticed the maneuver,and remarked the swift movements of the furtive eyes. “The cave!” he muttered to himself. “But how did you get in here?’ persisted Dorsay. “Don’t you know where you are?” “Course I do! But ’ow in did yew git ’ere? That’s wot I want ter know. seer” They both had remained standing an- tagonistically. Dorsay glanced apprehen- sively—he did not know why—at the ivory hut where the lunatic was lying asleep. “Well,” said Dorsay, patiently with a slight laugh, “I was foolish enough to walk here—apparently as you have done.” “Wot djer mean? ’Ow long yew been "erer”’ “T don’t want to know,” in a low voice. Dorkin moved a pace sidewise watching stealthily. “Wot djer mean?” returned Dorsay “Exactly what I said,” said Dorsay with _ Adventure a sigh. “I don’t want to know how long I’ve been here. Neither will you soon.” Again Dorkin glanced hurriedly about, as if suspicious of some kind of a trap in the words. Then he regarded Dorsay cun- ningly. ‘“Balmy,” he rapped out. yew are!” “Not yet. Not yet. Thank God!” The tone of the voice puzzled Dorkin. He wiped the back of his hand across his beard, which was bloody, and took a step forward irritably. “Oo ’re gittin’ at?” ‘““No one.” Dorsay sank down in his favorite place by the wall, as if he were both tired and bored. “You're a liar and a thief, Dorkin, and a would-be murderer—if you’re not already, for all I know—but I wouldn’t wish this fate on you even if you did “Wot the djer mean?” Dorkin glanced swiftly at the mouth of the cave as if fearful of something behind him, and, dragging thejgun, strode across and bent over Dorsay menacingly. “That’s what “Look ’ere, none o’ yer lip! Wot djer mean?” “T mean,” said Dorsay, slowly and tiredly, watching the mounting curve of sunlight on the circular wall, “that you’ve fallen into a trap, and that you'll never get out. As far as I understand from what the doctor told me these natives think we’re kind of gods. Anyway we’re fed and kept here like bears in a pit, and here you'll stop until—until— Oh, I don’t want to think about that.” The information percolated slowly into Dorkin’s mind. He straightened up. The small eyes blinked. Some knowledge of native ways and legends corroborated Dorsay’s statement of the position. “‘Garn!” he exploded suddenly. that’s wot yew are! “Ow dyjer get From that there cave?” Dorsay nodded. “Well, wot’s ter stop yer gittin’ aht the sime wy, heh? Garn, ye’re orf yer crum- etl” : “Tf you mean I’m crazy already,” re- turned Dorsay, ‘‘you’re wrong. Nor do I intend to be, but you will very soon, Dorkin, just the same as that other poor soul.” © Dorkin started, and glanced around. “Wot!” he exclaimed. ‘“’Nother feller? “Scared, "ere? COPMICLOOOKS (C@