Adventure Magazine Cover — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

. Buried Gods W’ere? Black feller? . Oh, my——” At that moment, like a lazy cat, the white-haired lunatic emerged from his hut, and, seeing the stranger, stood and giggled. At the motion of Dorkin’s gun the maniac leaped swiftly and disappeared through the cave mouth, from which echoed a dozen muffled echoes of a derisive shriek. “Gor,” muttered Dorkin, ‘’e’s orf ’is nut.” “T told you he was,”’ reminded Dorsay. Dorkin looked at Dorsay and back at the cave mouth swiftly. The half-raised rifle quivered slightly. “Leave that gun alone,” continued Dor- say equably. ‘‘He’s perfectly harmless.” “But ’e’s balmy,” spluttered Dorkin. “Am I to shoot you as soon as you go crazy?’’ demanded Dorsay tetchily. “Me? Crazy! Wot djer gittin’ at? I ain’t crazy. I—— He stopped, glanced suspiciously at the cave mouth and then at the stack of ivory. He looked at Dorsay slowly. “Gor!” he said, pawed his eyes with the back of his hand and fell to staring at the tusks. 4G q DORSAY wa ee. tense strain of the eyes: hea = ‘“‘He’s had an awful fright and he’s trying to bluff,’ he observed to himself without interest. “Got lost in the cave, I guess.’ Slowly Dorkin tore his eyes away from the half a million dollars, gazed at Dorsay as if unable to believe that he were really there, and sat down suddenly with the rifle across his knees. He opened his lips to speak and then, glancing nervously at the cave mouth, snapped— “Were’s ’e gawn?”’ “Don’t know.” “Carnt ’e git aht?” “T’ve told you.” A broken snicker was followed by a shriek and muftled echoes. “Oh, gor!’ exclaimed Dorkin, starting. “Wot’s ’e do.that fer?” “He’s mad, I told you.” “TLumme.”’ A scared expression came into Dorkin’s eyes. “°Re yew mad, too?” “Not yet.” “Crikey, can’t stand this.” Dorkin scrambled to his feet hurriedly, DORSAY watched his pose and the 3! -looked toward the cave mouth, hesitated, and then, bending over Dorsay, whis- pered— “Dyer fink ’e saw somefing?” “What did you see?” queried Dorsay with some interest. “Me? JI—I— Is it true wot yer tole me abaht not gittin’ aw’y?” “Unfortunately, yes.” “Gawd’s truf?” “Unfortunately, yes.” “But they tole me the stuff wus in ’ere.” “Well, it is, isn’t it?” “They tole me I could ’ave it.” There was a resentful whimper in the voice like a deceived child’s. “Well, there it is.” “T got bloomin’ eyes, ain’t I?’ retorted Dorkin savagely. “H’m. Who brought you here, any- way?” “Some of me own men.” Dorkin scowled at the recollection and burst out: “Darned scuts, never can trust a ruddy nigger. That Yamakala—me head man— ’e told me ’e got the tip stright from Man- gu, the witch-doctor bloke, that the stuff was ’ere. moon rose. Then when I wus ’arf wy ’e turned and bolted, the mangy swine. Afore IT cud let ’im ’ave one, too. In wiv that there streak o’ guts ter get me safari.” “Why didn’t you go back after him?” “Arter im?” Dorkin seemed about to choke with in- dignation. “°’Ow cud I w’en there wasn’t no more light than in the backyard o’ Pe He paused to shoot a glance at the cave mouth. “Never see a plice like that afore. dy hawful. But I come on. Tikes some- fin’ ter stop me.” “So you’ve been in there since last night?” “Vus, the ruddy ole. mark me.”’ “Why don’t you?” “Heh?” He bent lower over Dorsay, as if he had suddenly recollected something he had for- gotten. “But yew s’y as we carn’t git aht?” “That’s right,” answered Dorsay, notic- ing the “we. ‘““Garn,”’ exploded Dorkin with sudden But Pll git ’im, Brought me las’ night afore the CORMICLOOKS Rud- » (E@)