Adventure Magazine Cover, October 10, 1921 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

7O Ja-va-ree River, which I never seen before and comes from gosh-knows-where and ends in the Ammyzon. Over there on t’other side the water is Peru. Yer feet are in the mud of Brazil. This other river to yer left is the Tickywahoo - “Tecuahy,” the blond man corrected, grinning. “Yeah. And behind ye is the last town in the world and the place that God forgot. What d’ye call this here, now, city?” ‘“‘Remate de Males. Which means ‘Cul- mination of Evils’.”’ “Yeah. It looks it. Wonder if it’s _anything like Hell’s Kitchen, up in lil old Noo Yawk.” They turned and looked dubiously at the town—a row of perhaps seventy iron- walled and palm-roofed houses set on high palm-trunk poles, each with its ladder dropping from the doorway to the one muddy street. Then spoke the tall man. “Before you see it again, Tim, you'll think it’s quite a town. Above here is nothing but a few rubber estates, seven hundred miles of unknown river and empty jungle.” “Empty, huh? Then they kidded us on the boat. From what they said it’s fair crawlin’ with snakes and jaggers and _ lizards and vampires and spiders as big as yer fist. And the water is full o’ man- eatin’ fish and the bush full 0’ man-eatin’ Injuns. If that’s what ye call empty, cap, don’t take me no place where it’s crowded.” A slight smile twitched the set lips of the tall ‘‘cap.”’ ; “They’re all here, Tim, though maybe not so thick as you expect. Lots of other things too. Who’s this?” Through the knot of pipe-puffing idlers came a portly, coppery man in uniform. “Well, PI be—Say, he’s the same chap who came on to the boat in a police uniform. Now he’s in army rig,” the light-haired member oi the trio exclaimed. ‘‘Oh Lordy, I’ve got it! He’s the police force and the army! The whole blooming works! Ha!” Tim snickered and stepped forward. “Hullo, buddy,” he greeted. ‘‘What’s on yer mind?” ‘Boa dia, senhor,”’ responded the official affably. With the words he deftly slipped an arm around Tim’s waist and lifted the other hand toward -his shoulder. But that hand Adventure stopped short, then flew wildly out into the air. Tim gave a grunt and a heave. The official went skidding and slithering six feet through the mud, clutching at nothing and contorting himself in a frantic effort to keep from sprawling in the muck. By a margin thin as an eyelash he succeeded in preserving his balance and stood where he stopped, amazement and anger in his face. “Lay off that stuff!’ growled Tim, head forward and jaw out. “If ye want trouble come and git it like a man, not sneak up with a grin and then clinch. Don’t reach for no knife now, or I’ll drill ye——”’ “‘Tim!”’ barked the black-haired one. “Tenshun!” Automatically Tim’s head snapped erect and his shoulders went back. He relaxed again almost at once. But in the meantime the tall man had stepped forward and faced the raging representative of the Govern- ment of Brazil. “Pardon, comrade,” he said with an en- gaging smile. ‘My friend is a stranger to Brazil and not acquainted with your man- ner of welcome. In our own country men never put the arm around each other except in combat. He has been a soldier. You are a soldier. So you can understand that a fighting man may be a little abrupt when he does not understand.” The smile, the apology, and most of all the subtle flattery of being treated as an equal by a man whose manner betokened the North American Army officer, mollified the aggrieved official at once. The hot gleam died out of his eyes. Punctiliously he saluted. The salute was as punctiliously returned. “Tt is forgotten, capitao. As the capitao says, we soldiers are sometimes overquick. I come to give you welcome to Remate de Males. My services are at your disposal.” “We thank you. Why do you call me capitao?”’ “My eyes know a captain when they see him.” “But this is not a military expedition, my friend. Nor are any of us soldiers now— though we all have been.” “Once a capitao, always a capitao,”.the Brazilian insisted. Then he hinted: “If the capitao and his friends wish to call upon the superintendente they will find him in the intendencia, the blue building beyond the hotel. It will soon be closed for the day.” Co DOO ANUG SS C@