Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

The Letter of the Promise “Well,” he said, ‘‘the Rover will be here in a few hours now. Which is it to be?” Pendelton faced him steadily. His eyes were unnaturally brilliant; but otherwise he gave no sign of emotion. “T’ll go with you,” he said wearily. “There seems to be no other way.” ‘‘Spoken like a man, Pen,”’ said Cutter heartily. ‘I knew you would see things in the right light. We will return the money in due time and nobody will be hurt. And you see how I trust you. Here I am giving you a thousand pesos, and I sha’n’t ask for a scrap of paper or anything else to show for it. ‘*You could tell the whole thing to Bradley when he comes to-day. Of course he wouldn’t believe you; he would think you had gone crazy; but he would probably re- lieve you and I should lose my money. All I want is your word, on the honor of a Pen- delton, that you will say nothing about it and that you’ll go when I say so.” The young man laughed mirthlessly. “The honor of a Pendelton!” It sounded like old-fashioned melodrama; but he real- ized that Cutter had judged him rightly, for if he gave his word, he knew that, cost what it would, he would keep it. “All right,” he said slowly. ‘I promise that I’ll say nothing about it, and that Ill go.” “Helping me take the money in the safe,” added Cutter. ‘Helping you to take what’s in the safe,” repeated Pendelton. Cutter left the room, to return presently, bearing under his arm a carefully wrapped package, which he dropped on the desk. ““Here you are, Pen,” he said. “I scraped around among my possessions until I made up the thousand. You might count them.” Pendelton clutched the package eagerly. It was a respite at any rate. But his voice was level as he answered: “T’ll take your word, but if you don’t mind you might cut out the ‘Pen.’ I have promised to go because I don’t see any other way out. But don’t make any mis- take that I am a friend of yours. I am not, and I warn you fair enough that I’ll balk you if I can without breaking my word.”’ Cutter flushed. . “Just try it, Mr. Pendelton!” he said. That morning Pendelton wrote two let- ters. One was addressed to his brother John, telling him simply that he was in a0. — 163 trouble, and begging him to believe that whatever happened he would try to carry out his duty as he saw it. The other was addressed to Colonel Bradley. The letter to his brother he dropped into the post- office; the other he placed carefully in his pocket. “WHAT is the matter, Lieutenant? A touch of fever?” | Colonel Bradley was speaking, on the deck of the Rover, which had entered, an hour later, and dropped anchor in the bay. He was a tall, thin man, with a large mouth and a genial expression, which an icy glint in his eyes occasionally belied. Few things escaped his notice; he prided himself on his powers of deduction; he said that an inspector was concerned more with the spirit than with mere bald facts and appearences, and as an inspector he had been a conspicuous success. He had noticed at once that Pendelton’s face, which he had remembered for its boy- ishness, was gaunt, that there were hollows under his eyes, and a tenseness in his man- ner, as if he were, with an effort, consciously holding himself in hand. And Pendelton’s start, at the abrupt question, did not escape the colonel. “No, sir,”’ he said, “only a little insomnia. I haven’t been able to sleep much these last few nights—maybe it’s the heat.” Colonel Bradley did not just then pursue the subject further; but on the launch he from time to time shot an unobtrusive glance at the supply officer. “Insomnia? yes,’’ he said to himself, as they stepped ashore. ‘“‘But I want to know what is causing it.”’ He could discover no reason, however, during his inspection that day. From a casual examination, Pendelton’s accounts appeared to be in order, the funds under his control correct. But more and more, he had that impression that the boy was on his guard, and that in his attitude toward Cutter:sthere was a vague stiffness, almost a sense of hostility. Also he noticed that not once, not even when they were counting the money in Pendelton’s safe, did the major leave him alone with the supply officer. ‘‘You are dining with us this evening, I hope, Colonel?” said Cutter, when at night- fall they had returned to headquarters from a visit to the Presidente. Colonel Bradley looked up. Pendelton ———S CoMmicboooks CO