Adventure Magazine Cover — page 85: what you’re looking at

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Forbidden you'll be kind enough to explain and give him my cordial thanks.” _ He bowed again and left her. CHAPTER XI THE INSCRIPTION ON THE BELL FoR three days after, Stuart saw no one from the Blessed Damozel. A blinding drift of rain had come on the urgency of a southeast gale, and Stuart, housed by bad weather and a swollen and painful arm, was not in the best of tempers. It seemed to him that he was fated to be trapped in Reykjavik, for now Haldr told him that the roads to Hecla were rendered impassable by the flooding waters. This time it was no question of boots. Haldr’s gesture was not at his girth but in the vicinity of his yellow hair. | “Then by heaven,” said Stuart, ‘Tl get a boat! J’ll go by sea. Is there a man in this country that owns a boat?” Haldr stared listlessly down the road. He was in no mind to lose his guest, but since detention seemed useless—‘‘Svéatur got boat,”’ he said; ‘rotten boat, no good.”’ “Good enough for me!” said Stuart promptly. ‘“‘Now will you go and see this Svéatur for me and make terms with him for a two weeks’ cruise along the coast?” ' Haldr shifted to his other foot. ‘“‘Oddi not go—no sailor. Need Svéatur, need two more men. Coast rough, bad sailing.” “Drat you!” cried Stuart again, half- laughing but determined to balk the na- tional apathy of this place which from the moment of his arrival had so irritated him. “I know what the sea is and I know what a bad coast-line is. I’m not afraid. I want that boat and I want those men. I can’t speak their language to make arrangements with them, so you must do it for me.” Haldr nodded. At least it was a relief to see him do something other than shake his head. ‘‘Boat cost high,” he said. “Three men, three pounds the day.” Stuart turned. ‘‘Three pounds—fifteen dollars? ‘That’s absurd. But make it ten dollars, all found, and I’ll agree.” Haldr assented heavily. “I go see Svéatur now. What time you start?” Stuart shrugged his shoulders. ‘‘My spirits have been taken down since I came to this country. I don’t say when I want to start. I say I will start when I can.” Treasure 841 The Icelander let this thrust pass uncon- sidered. “Get boat ready,” he said, ‘‘men say good-by—to-morrow morning for start?” | “To-morrow morning!” said Stuart blithely. That was as early as he could reasonably expect. It would, moreover, give him time to hear the result of Mr. Lee’s labors with the bell and to say good- by to that extremely nice chap Berwind. Suppose the result of the inscriptions yielded anything tangible, why then he could use his boat—but at the gate of the golden wonderland this opened before him, imagination faltered. ‘‘Have my boxes put aboard,” he said—‘‘my box of canned _things—ready to-morrow morning.” ‘To-morrow morning—all right,” re- peated Haldr, turning away on his heels. Then with a gesture toward the blue waters of the harbor, “Boat from yacht,” he said, “‘come ashore.” Stuart turned in pleasure, for these last days had been lonely and, moreover, his curiosity flamed high. And not even the dread of meeting the girl who so recently had flouted him could prevent him from hurrying down to the strand. Dr. Berwind was alone, however, and called a greeting to him from his place in the stern. “I’ve worried about you, my boy,” said Berwind kindly. ‘Tell me, has that scratch of mine taken all night?” Stuart moved his arm stiffly. “It has— no doubt about that.” “Thank heaven!” said Berwind de- voutly. “That was a nasty risk for you, but it’s past now. However, I can assure you that your waiting hasn’t been for nothing. I have news for you!” “The belle” Berwind nodded. “Mr. Lee has been plugging away ever since we brought it to him. It’s been a tremendous job, without any reference books or anything. But didn’t I tell you? He’s a regular cracker- jack at that sort of thing!”’ . “He has made out something?” asked Stuart excitedly. “Jump in; you’re to come aboard and see for yourself. It is plain that some special bait is needed to catch you, young man!” Stuart laughed in momentary embarrass- ment. How far, he asked himself, had Berwind divined the situation? But such idle speculations were driven from his mind Comicbooks ©