Adventure Magazine Cover — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

166 And then it laughed—one great victori- ous shriek—one howl of sweet revenge. And as it laughed foam flakes and blood dripped from its mouth. The laugh turned to a hideous yammer- ing—a working of the jaws. GYadually the jaws moved slower and still more slowly. The madman’s hands went to his hips and rested there; his face went calm. His eyes becamé almost clear, and with a smile of - grim content he quietly admired his handi- work. The slender, breeched, top-booted figure _ stood beside the lifeless Tombs. Dispas- sionately it looked down on him; dispas- sionately it removed the wide, gray, soft hat. Hair fell down to its shoulders, hair right down to its waist. And the hair wasn’t exactly golden, neither was it exactly red. As one who’s been unconscious and sud- denly comes to life, the wondering Bertie turned his head. His eyes went open wide, his mouth went open wide, and for a mo- ment stayed so. Then the mouth closed and opened wide again. “Fileen!’’ he fairly shouted. a THE fleeing Rodney charged into Hl the tangled bush. Madly, at an angle, the chasing graybeard fol- lowed and fiercely tried to head him off. The bush went thick, then thin, then thick, then thin again. Twisting and dodg- ing, the fleeing man rushed off—and twist- ing and dodging, the cold, grim Frank pur- sued. =i The bush went thick, then thinned away to nothing. Ahead were two towering kopjes, a passageway between. Wildly Rodney turned his horse and headed for the pass and into it. The passway closed—a huge high cul de sac. But feet away from a great wall of rock Rodney paused and loudly, vengefully cursed. Cursing he drew a gun and held it toward the onrushing man. The bullet caught the horse squarely in a foreleg, and, crashing, down it went with Frank beneath. Frank fought savagely to free himself, but a leg was firmly held. Above the horse’s back Frank’s head came up. A revolver was pointing at it. A frantic twist, a painful turn and Frank’s revolver blazed. Squealing at the graybeard Rodney’s horse collapsed, and threw its rider clear. And ~ = - ee ™2 } pe Chg La ET Pee a ate —" 2 ee, eee aa a ae aiee alt © eat 23 cae = ig. SE * we 5 ‘ Sex. = _ os ee - a. Adventure then Frank pulled again and his revolver jammed. . As a rubber ball Rodney bounded totter- ing to his feet, his revolver, jerked from his hand, was somewhere in the bush. Curs- ing he charged upon the pinioned man. He kicked and swore and hit and mauled. With grim set teeth the prostrate Frank tugged to free himself. The wounded horse, hard-breathing, wouldn’t budge. With kicking feet and flailing hands the wild old Rodney pounded. Pounded and smashed at Frank from head to foot, smashed at his ribs, his chest, his face. A furious kick and Frank’s head dodged aside. The fierce kick missed and struck the horse’s spine. Groaning, it winced, and struggling tried to rise. Both Frank’s legs now were free, and Frank rolled over, then rose on hands and knees and quickly gained his feet. Wild as two white-haired tigers, fierce as two savage-souled baboons the old men circled and tore into each other. Never a word, but just snarling curses. A snarl and deep, hard, hissing breath. And round and round, staggering at rocks and crashing back through bush, stumbling at roots and grating against trees. The wild eyes gleamed, the cursing mouths went closed. Thin, sinewy arms beat the air and stiff legs staggered round and foundered. A sharp rock caught Rodney’s foot and rasped against it. Twitching he tried to raise the foot above it and back away. The rock was high and big and rough, the feel- ing foot failed to pass over it. , Cruelly Frank’s hand, clutching his use- less revolver, crashed squarely into the other’s face, smashing in his nose and gash- . _ ing a wrinkled cheek. The man fell flat, and, reeling with the force he’d spent, Frank fell upon him. And both men rolled apart and rose. Blindly the bleeding Rodney charged in again and Frank dodged to one side. Hand and revolver echoed as they hit. Rodney squealed, then, head down, | charged again. And Frank jumped back. The groaning horse behind went silent; the thin, clear air was not enough support for wildly clutching hands; reeling, Frank staggered, then rolled down in the sand. Rodney screamed, then with both feet came down—came down full on to Frank’s flat stomach and jumped and hit again. Then staggered off and. staggered back, GComichooks