Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

114 Knowlton and McKay also drew back a little, laying down their hot weapons and resting their eyes, which ached from the strain of squinting against the slanting sun. Tim, after dumping his flat boxes of .30’s from his haversack, took time to unstrap those of his companions for the next need. So several minutes passed before the three slid forward again with full guns and open cartridge-cases. And then they did not resume firing. In those few minutes much had taken place. The White Ones had made good their thrust into the lane opened by the white men’s guns and were fighting like fiends. The Huambiza left flank, battling three ways, was writhing like a nest of snakes, squirming about within itself in abortive advances and retreats. Now a wedge seemed to be forming at the farther side and driving toward the rocks where the Americans lurked. Rapidly it gathered streneth and came on with increasing speed—a spear-head of Huambiza warriors, thrusting through the tangled ranks of their own fellows. As it came on, the hidden gunmen voiced sudden ejaculations. In that driving wedge they had glimpsed a white man’s face, black-bearded and black-haired. “Dave!” barked McKay. “Dave!” echoed Knowlton. “It’s old Dave!”’ “Yeah! By ——, it’s him!” vowed Tim. “Him and his hellions, comin’ right to us— nope, they’re headin’ for the end over yonder. Cripes! They got a guy there— draggin’ him out o’ the mess—looks like another white man! Yee-ay, Dave! Look up here! Da-a-ave!”’ His yell went unheard. The white man plunged on with his savage satellites, drag- ging the form which Tim had spied. They shoved other Huambizas aside with ruth- less roughness, intent on their own purpose. “Get down the path!” snapped McKay. “We'll grab him— Hold on! Wait!’ The flying wedge had deflected toward them. It crushed its way through to the rocks. Not more than fifty feet from Mc- Kay and Knowlton and Tim, and in plain ‘ sight, it stopped among boulders. Yet none of the grisly warriors looked up at the Americans, or seemed aware of their existence. The white commander of the head- hunters—-muscular, streaked with dirt and sweat and blood, ferocious as any of his Adventure savage allies—turned to his men with a harsh grunt. The pair following him loosed their holds on the limp form they had been hauling through the press. It fell, rolled over on a slanting stone, and lay motionless, face upward. : Bleeding from several wounds, senseless and perhaps lifeless, José Martinez, King of the White Ones, lay there in the power of David Rand, leader of the Huambizas. Rand spoke, his rough voice carrying to the tense watchers above! “Wake up, you swine! Look alive and talk!” With the words he kicked the prostrate man with a leathery bare heel. José made no answer. He could make none. ‘Talk, you rotter! Tell what you did with——_”’ “Rana!” The clear call broke from the boulders above him. Out from those rocks, leaping downward with agile grace, came Nuné. Huambiza faces lifted, heavy Huambiza jaws dropped, blood-shot Huambiza eyes stared at the slim figure descending with gold cross blazing in the sun. Rand whirled and stood as if petrified. A few seconds more, and the girl stood before him, flushing, laughing happily, searching his fierce visage for the welcoming smile of which she had dreamed for weary weeks. Amid the hide-- ous barbarity of jungle war, the priestess of Piatzo had at last returned to the man she loved. And then McKay, expert rifleman in the United States Army and dead shot in any part of the world, slid his rifle forward. Coolly he drew a bead on his old-time partner. The gunshot cracked wickedly among the rocks. Rand fell as if smitten by a thunderbolt. CHAPTER XXII AT BAY “@‘OME on! Get ’em!” rasped McKay. While his astounded comrades stared at him, he sprang up, leaped back to the path, and bounded down it. Automatically they jumped up and dashed after him. Almost together, the three swerved sharp tothe right, leaped from rock to rock, and burst into view of the gaping Huambizas. Only a few feet below them, Rand lay across the body of José. COnmicloo SH (©