Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

168 drawn face to shield its eyes from the glare of the sun. There an hour later Colonel Bradley found them. From the native he learned of Cutter’s escape and the helplessness of the launch. 14 PENDELTON opened his eyes mii slowly. The bed on which he was 25S lying felt cool, soft, deliciously re- freshing to his tired body. ‘Through a small, square window on a level with his glance a brisk breeze was blowing, stirring the white, crisply laundered curtains; and in his ears there sounded a steady, pulsating throb. He recognized it presently as the beating of the screw. With a sigh of contentment he rolled lazily on his side and found himself looking squarely into the eyes of Colonel Bradley who, sitting at his desk, had turned at the sounds of movement. “How do you feel?”’ asked the colonel. “Pretty raw, sir, but I think IJ’ll be all right after a bit to eat.” The colonel pushed a button, and when the China boy appeared in the doorway, gave an order. Then he turned back to his desk and went on with his work, until with a gratified sigh, Pendelton announced: ‘‘T’ve finished, sir.” Colonel Bradley switched his chair, and leaning forward for the second time, said: ‘Now tell me all about it.” And this time Pendelton told him. ‘‘So that is why you kept quiet before, is itr’? asked the colonel at the conclusion of the story. “Ves, sir,’ said Pendelton. “I had given my word. I had to keep it. But where are we now, sire” “Going up the bay to Porto Oporto. We'll cable to the authorities in Borneo, and send a cutter out from Jolo. We may catch him, but there is a chance, a good chance, that he may get clean away. For your sake I hope he does not.”’ Pendelton looked up in surprise. ‘‘Why for my sake, sir?”’ ‘‘Because,’’ answered the colonel in a Adventure dry tone, “I am afraid that if we do not get the money, keeping your word is going to get you into pretty serious trouble. You seem to forget that you were responsible for its safe keeping, and technically at least you helped steal it.” For a moment Pendelton stared at him blankly; and then he had difficulty in keep- ing himself from going off again into that wild paroxysm of laughter. But he choked down the impulse. “Didn’t you get my letter, sir?” ‘“‘Letter? No. What letter?” “The one I went back and gave to the sentry to hand you. In it I told you that I had promised Cutter to help him steal what was in the safe; but that before I did so, I intended to take the money out and replace it with some bogus sacks which I had fixed up for the purpose. When I saw that fire, I thought he might try to run for it last night, so I slipped into the office, made the substitution, and added a postscript to my letter, telling you where I had buried the money in the garden. I was hoping that he might go without me, but I didn’t suggest it for fear that he might suspect some- thing.” ‘And he didn’t?” “Not a thing: he was too keen on getting away.” “But if he had—suppose he had opened one of those sacks?”’ Pendelton’s brows contracted slightly. “T don’t know. I’d have pointed out to him that I was doing what I had agreed to— perhaps. Well, at any rate, he certainly wouldn’t have gotten that money. But as it was, everything went my way.” Colonel Bradley stared at Pendelton quizzically. Then he broke into a laugh. “Well, I'll be——!” he said at length, with a chuckle; and the way he said it seemed to please Pendelton, who an- swered: ‘‘And so I suppose will Cutter when he opens those sacks among his Moro friends and finds them full of packages of blank paper and round iron washers about the size of pesos.” CoMmicboooks (CO