Adventure Magazine Cover — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

IIo ‘‘would be for the three of us to scout to- night. Maybe if one can get through and back we may get some food and an idea of the lay of the town.”’ ‘““Won’t get far in the town,” said I. ‘‘For it’ll sure be divided into quarters, with gates locked and barred, lke all these Arab towns.”’ As far as we could figure out the position, it seemed a deadlock. Finally we decided to try it out anyway, and, drawing for watches, turned in for some sleep. S't8 TOWARD sunset I, having the dog owes watch, began to get uneasy. When the cry of the Muezzin was wailing in the distance I awoke the other two. ‘See here,”’ said I. ‘‘Snicker your heads off if you like, but I can’t stand for rubbing my nose against serpents in the dark. I'll be back at dawn if I’m still going.” And, refusing to listen to Billy’s gibes, I went off, anxious to be out of that creepy, crawly world while I could see where I was stepping. As soon as I had arrived near the thin timber again I nestled into cover and waited for dark. But just as the sun was setting in a blaze of scarlet I was glad I’d come, for I caught the mutter of voices not far away. I squirmed through the grass and bushes, dragging my gun cautiously. I heard a guttural click and a negro soldier said— “Nay, O Fayami, not within the sacred wood, for indeed will our lords be wroth.”’ “But Sidna (our lord) hath given us magic against the hunger of the Holy Ones. Come, go, ye four, and if ye see the dirty infidels kill them for the glory of Islam!”’ “Nay,” grumbled another. ‘Thou art our superior; wherefore hangest thou be- hind?” “What use?” demanded a third. ‘For have not the Holy Ones long since eaten them up? Is it not known that no one can live within the sacred wood?” “Do my bidding, ye with livers of water. Hath not Sidna so commanded? Wherefore obey ye him not? Is he not khalif of our lord Mohammed—whom Allah bless—and is his power not mighty? Why fear ye?”’ ‘Powerful he may be, but who is as powerful as the Holv Ones of the Wood, our sacred ancestors?”’ ‘“‘Ah,’’ I chuckled to myself, Mr. Gandhi isn’t as almighty as he thinks he is—mostly that wav with kings, I guess.” Adventure And I reckoned J had been right—neither he nor any of his holy men had any stomach to try to chase us out of the wood, knowing we were armed; and the tabu of the older pagan cult was more powerful than any dispensation the veneer of Islam could give. The men continued grumbling and argu- ing with their corporal, or whatever he was; but enter the wood they wouldn’t. Prob- ably files of them were all around the con- fines of the wood, so that Billy and Field- morre would surely bump against them too. Of Billy’s scouting abilities I had no fear; but of Fieldmorre’s I just didn’t know anyv- thing. However, there was no sound of strife, so I reckoned that all was well so far. I thought of trying to put over the ghost bluff, as I had a few vestas still in my skarrah; but on reflection it seemed to me that this time I’d surely get a bullet; for more than probably they had been put wise to the first bluff. The sun had set, and it was now dark, of which I was very much aware. My nose grew so keen that I thought I could smell snakes. The bunch of guards were still in a heap, as I could tell from the sound of their voices. Presently I just caught one anxiously sug- gesting that they may as well go home, for the evil spirits of the night would never permit infidels to live. ‘“‘That’s right, old son,” I muttered, ‘“‘and means anyway that you won’t budge from where you are the night long.” I began to edge my way around to the right, and passed within ten yards, near enough to have potted some of them by the dim light of the clear stars on their woolen hatks. If only, I thought, I could drive one of those pythons or giant monitors on to them, I’d probably be able to collect the guns they’d left behind. But just at this moment my left hand, feeling the way, touched something cold and slimy, jerking a muffled squawk out of me. For a few moments I was too busy wrig- gling off in the other direction to pay much attention to what was happening. I stopped and listened. They’d heard me. I heard their man in charge violently ordering them to search around, maintaining that a man had cried out and not a bird or a demon as his men insisted. Then came the red flash and the report as one of his men fired blindly. The bullet shrieked over my head. For a moment I was on thé point of shoot- ing, thinking that he’d spotted me. But COIN Clooolkks (©