Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

986 now and then to call to a bird or squirrel, made her way up the Hermit’s Mountain, with Manahan not far behind her. When he reached the little clearing, however, he found her seated on a bench outside the cabin. The door was wide open. On the table the remnants of a meal were scattered about. In the little lean-to which served as the Hermit’s laboratory, iron molds, tongs and crucibles were thrown about in confusion. Near the open door a mound of slag and another of rock helped to proclaim the activities of the man they sought. “‘T wonder where he is?”’ said Manahan. “Dear only knows! Maybe he’s gone to Hot Springs to see me; only, in that case, we'd surely have passed him. Perhaps he’s gone to Benton.”’ “IT wish I knew how long he'll be gone,” said the Big Person, poking about curiously in the litter on the shelf, smelling the con- tents of bottles and rummaging generally. ‘“‘Please don’t touch anything,” pleaded Carmelita. “I really think we’d better go. If he caught you, it would be as much as our lives were worth.” “Tf he don’t want people to look at things, why don’t he lock them up, then?” snorted Manahan wrathfully. ‘“‘He’s got something to sell, hasn’t he? How does he expect to get rid of it, if a fellow can’t see it? He had just ventured two investigating fin- gers into a dusty marmalade jar, and been rewarded by a sticky mass of something that smelt indescribably. “Bah! Here, give me something to get this off with! That paper’ll do.” He reached for a sheet of yellow, thumb- marked wrapping-paper. Carmelita gave a little cry. “Don’t take that! There’s writing on it. It may be a formula, or—Oh!”’ she finished softly. “What is it?” said Manahan, sacrificing his handkerchief with a look of disgust. ‘““A letter to the man at the Imperial Trust. I couldn’t help seeing the name. Oh, Mr. Manahan!”’ she protested. For Manahan had boldly picked up the letter and, ignoring her indignant surprise, was reading it carefully through. When he had finished, he gazed thoughtfully about the shack. Carmelita turned on her heel and started suddenly away. “T’m going home,” her shoulder. “If you want to stay here and get shot, you may!” she called back over _ Adventure “Wait a minute!” cried Manahan. “I’m coming! Say! You’re going the wrong way!”’ “No, I’m not! There’s a back-trail here that strikes the road a few minutes’ walk from where we left the buggy.” QUA MANAHAN trudged sullenly along, keeping to the center of the narrow trail, while Carmelita picked her way between the stones and weeds and shrubs alongside. She lingered a moment to pull some purple asters, one solitary clump of which caught her attention. The tough- stemmed flowers refused to break. Had Manahan turned he would have seen her find the cord she sought and give it a sharp pull. Almost simultaneously a distant rifle-shot, followed by the frantic barking of a dog, rang out on the clear mountain air. As Manahan started nervously, he felt Car- melita’s hands upon his arm, drawing him to one side and silently urging him down be- hind some close-growing bushes. “‘Sshl”? she whispered. ‘‘There’s some one on the other side!” Even as she pointed, the tall gaunt form of Johan Rudoph Glauber, redzvivus, his back toward them, stood upright among the hazels, listening in the direction from which came the dog’s bark. Then he stooped sud- denly and the two breathless eavesdroppers heard the clinking of metal into glass. Once more the Hermit sprang up, coatless this time, but with a bird rifle in his hand. Throwing it over his shoulder, he crashed off through the underbrush in the direction of the dog, who was still barking furiously. The two in hiding exchanged glances. Manahan’s face was purple, Carmelita’s pale with excitement. “Pretty close shave!”’ wheezed.the Big Person. ‘“‘Rather!”’ drawled Carmelita. “Say! That sounded like gold/ Here’s where we find out whether he’s really got any. Come on!” Parting the foliage quietly, they slipped through into the little hollow. Fresh earth— disturbed, a deep hole—empty, and some foot-prints were all they found at first. Then Carmelita pointed to where, among closely growing roots, a coat had been shoved. Manahan stooped and pulled out _a sleeve. ‘“Be careful!’? warned Carmelita. ‘‘He’s like an Indian, and knows if a leaf is out of CO MICLOOKS CO