Adventure Magazine Cover — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

Il4 I went aboard by agreement, even if your boat should pick me up in plain sight of other craft. You will simply be engaged in humanitarian life-saving,’ Garth urged. “But why take those chances of compli- cations? You can get the stones by simply forcing them to give them up—without injuring the prince or young Brendon. If you get the men Wheeler and Drake, it ought to satisfy you, and it could be made to seem accidental. JI don’t want any chance of international complications.”’ Obstinately persistent. “There is another reason—since you insist.” : Garth was annoyed but suave. “TI propose to force the prince to aid me in the matter of the Secret Order without a Name.” Again the startled hush. It seemed min- utes, but was perhaps ten seconds before von Reuter said— “Will you repeat that last sentence?” “In the matter of the Order That Is Not— perhaps that is how you think of it—or the Order That Acts without Any Name.” “YT refuse absolutely and finally to be in any way associated with the enterprize, onless you gif me your vord,’ the burr becoming thicker with excitement, “that you vill haf noding vatever to do vith this prince—or vith Brendon, or vith the crazy matter you last mentionet!”’ And Dan could hear the puff of exhaled breath. “Then you are afraid of it too?’ said Garth with a short laugh. “IT know of no such foolishness—you seem to be in-sane—verruckt! If dere is further talk of dis supject, I sail from dis port at vonce!l” | “All right—all right—have it your way! I am not unreasonable. But listen—if there is nothing but craziness to it—why are you all so scared of it?” “IT tolt you that one more mention and ee “TI beg your pardon—I won’t do it agam— we will cut out that feature. Otherwise the plan is the same, unless I give notice of change to Number Two. Is that all?” “T see no oder opjection!”’ stiffly. “Auf Wiederseh’n!”’ ‘So long!” Garth laughed after the officer had gone; put his feet on the desk and looked up at G. Washington. “That was funny; wasn’t Adventure it, George? If he knew I lied to him he vould sail at vonce! The whole thing is funny—funnier than you know, George!” At that moment Dan thought he had never hated the man so well. It was not because he intended to break his promise to the German commander of the Kron prinz— not because the plan he had just heard involved his own slaughter—it was simply because it was Garth, and he was Dan Wheeler and there was a predestined antip- athy between them that meant no truce this side of extermination. | Garth was looking about the small office. In one corner was an old-fashioned iron safe—very thick and fire-proof, but easy for any cracksman—not used for anything more valuable than the account-books of the club. As Garth’s eyes fell on it it gave him an idea. Without a word he cast a furtive glance behind him to make sure the door was closed into the hall, then took the leather roll con- taining the precious diamond from an inner pocket and locked it in the safe. Dan saw the move and its reason. No box-man would look there for a very valu- able gem, and it was safe from fire. But how easy it would be for him, with a duplicate of that key in his pocket, to put that diamond where it would be still safer! But Lu Yan’s principal would not take it on those terms— it wouldn’t do. Now what next? Would it pay to hang around and watch Garth any longer—with all this explosive information in his posses- sion? Wouldn’t Lu Yan and Drake sit up when he told them Garth was wise to their scheme and had a plan to checkmate them? And such a plan! Moreover, it would prove the wisdom of his own move—to find out what the other fellow was up to, and fool him! That was all they had to do now—to spoil Garth’s plan. And the sooner he could get to his two waiting friends the better. He was just starting to crawl back when a voice in the ofice—speaking to Garth—stopped “See here, Garth, this is the finish!”’ It was the voice of Ardmore. Dan peeped and saw the man’s face, white with anger, and perhaps with fear. His voice shook, and the bank-notes in his hand shook rap- idly. ‘See those notes, Garth?” he went on in a strained, high key. ‘“They just came over your roulette-table—paid out—the first COIN DOOKS C@