Adventure Magazine Cover — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

Yellow Treasure 5 —which you don’t. You’ve been acting like a fool—or like your father.” I rose. “Tf you, of all people, are going to insult my father’s memory—”’ I began, hotly. “Sit down. Your father ran the Green Star Line into bankruptcy. If I hadn’t bought it in, he’d have died of a broken heart before he did. Do you deny that?” “Yes!” I cried. “It shows you know nothing of the mat- ter, then.. He had rich brothers. If he wasn’t a fool at business, why didn’t they finance him? I assure you it is so. You can take the assurance or leave it as you like. I’m telling you now that you are acting like a fool.”’ “Perhaps you will tell me how?” I said, through clenched teeth. It seemed to me that the parchment face beyond the lamp softened slightly. “My dear boy,” said the old man, “‘this isn’t an indictment. This is a statement of fact,,and you must be familiar with the fact yourself. I know that a racing-car is all that’s left of your patrimony, but don’t you agree that to go looking for thirty dol- lar a week jobs in it is foolish—not to men- tion using your Navy bonus to pay fines for crossing Market Street at sixty miles an hour?” “T don’t see what business it is of yours,” I told him. That fine, which had absorbed all but five dollars of my worldly posses- sions, was a sore point. And how, since it had only been inflicted that afternoon, could he possibly know of it in this seclusion? ‘“‘Added to this,’’ went on old Campbell, *‘you’re making love to a girl who will one day have more millions of dollars to her name than you have quarters. Sit down! You’re young, and you’re hot-blooded, and you’re your father’s son; but isn’t that the act of a fool?” His tone was kind, and a sudden memory of that evening’s scene, as witnessed by the placid Chinaman, made me blush painfully. “Ves,” I said. “Y’m glad you admit it,”’ said old Camp- bell, leaning back in his chair, ‘“‘because I called you here to help you; and that ad- mission is the first step. Now I want you to attend carefully to me. Are you listen- ing?” He leaned forward again, bringing his sharp chin down to the table so that the light fell downward over his face, and caused a hideous inverted version of it to stare at me from the polished teak. “In helping you I’m going to help my- self,” he said. ‘Therefore it’s a proposi- tion you may refuse. I must have your GroUnee before I go any further, that in at event you will forget what I have said, Immediately.” “T will,” I told him. “That’s not enough,” he snapped. “I want your word of honor. Do you give it or note” “Tt seems rather superfluous,” I said, nettled, ‘‘when your confidence is appar- ently to be poured into the ears of Chinese servants.” Campbell chuckled. “My servants are ex-soldiers of the Chi- nese Imperial Guard,” he said, as if that were a certificate from Heaven as to their discretion. ‘“‘Regarding some matters they might chatter—they have chattered. But not about this. Have I your word that in the event of refusal ‘ ‘“‘And in the event of acceptance?” I in- quired, with exaggerated caution. Campbell chuckled again. “You heard what I said to McAndrew,” he said “in the event of acceptance, two words mean your throat cut. Have I your word of honor?” ‘“‘Ycu have my word of honor.”’ He leaned back again. “And you, on your part, have a second mate’s ticket in steam?” I told him I had the necessary formal qualifications for ensign, but that my ex- perience in navigation was practically nil. They weren’t particular about such things during the war. Personally, I was as- signed to a battle-ship as physical director, and never stood a watch. “Y’m not after a navigator,” said Man- darin Campbell. ‘The qualifications for this job are the cups you won at college and your record as a breaker of speed laws. - Did you know that you’ve been driving at seventy-five miles an hour with a cracked front-wheel spindle?” “T didn’t much care whether it broke or not,” I told him, the hair suddenly rising on my spine as the wonder flashed across me how he could possibly know about it. ‘In fact, the last few days I’ve been rather hoping it would.” “And you'd have got your wish if I hadn’t had it replaced,” he snapped. | GOMIGoOO S (© iin