Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

The King of No Man’s Land His rifle licked upward and spat. A snarling shape which had sprung into sight above them collapsed, pitched forward, and flopped soggily down into the little cafion behind McKay. At the same mo- ment the captain fired toward the path, and another brown form dropped on its face. Tim’s ejected shell had hardly tinkled on the rocks when he shot again, and a third apparition vanished from the sky-line, sliding down outside. On Knowlton’s side no heads appeared. “Got us located,” “Watch for a rush now.” Tense seconds snailed away. Though McKay still watched toward the path, all felt that the rush would come from above— a simultaneous rise, leap, and drop of sav- ages with down-pointed spears, like infantry storming a trench with bayonets. With guns cocked and fingers on triggers, they awaited the shock of impact. The seconds became minutes. Still no new assailant showed himself. Then above the riot from below sounded sudden sharp yells near at hand—raucous howls of de- fiance blending with screeches of hateful triumph. The waiting men braced them- selves. But no Huambizas appeared. Blows thudded faintly. Death-screams shrilled. Somewhere a rock grated, sliding under a weight. Then Knowlton’s rifle darted to an aim at something above—and poised without firing. A pair of struggling forms had risen on the right-hand boulder, grappling with mur- derous ferocity. They fell, kicking, biting, choking, rolling over and over toward the white men. In a sudden scrambling slide they shot headlong downward into the crevice, still tearing at each other. The head of one crunched on a stone, and he went limp. The other, his hold broken, clawed about him, then lurched to his feet, glaring dizzily around. He was a warrior of the White Ones. The one with the crushed skull was a Huambiza. A crooked grin quirked over the lacerated face of the Sumatara. Hoarsely he panted, with a gesture including the surrounding boulders: ; McKay warned. 117 “We come. We kill.” As his meaning became plain, the ready rifles sank. One by one, other White Ones arose on either side, breathing hard and bearing fresh stains of fight; peered down at the whites, glanced around them, and came dropping in. The daring attack of the Northerners of the Huambizas and their retreat with prisoners, followed by vengeful head-hunters, had been seen by some of the White Ones below; and those “witnesses had forthwith sped around to the path, ascended it, and scattered to hunt down the hated Westerners. Now the head- hunters were dead. Down at the base of the rocks, too, the Huambizas were virtually annihilated. The isolated left flank was now shredded into an ‘even worse hash than when Tim had last looked down—cut to pieces and being exter- minated by swarming White Ones. Farther along the cliff, the remaining body of invaders was likewise broken up, though not so hopelessly trapped; scattered seg- ments had managed to fight their way out and were fleeing in disorderly rout toward the rock-choked rift by which they had entered—the only exit they knew; others, hemmed in, were desperately seeking a line of escape and not finding-it. The mfuriated fighters of José had at last gained the upper hand and were utterly smashing their foe. “Wal, I s’pose this ends our lil party,” growled Tim. “Somebody always has to come buttin’- in jest when we’re goin’ good.” His long breath of relief, however, belied his sour tone. McKay, turning with a slight smile, opened his mouth to retort, but shut it with a click of teeth. A simultaneous growl broke from the White Ones, a cry from Nuné, and a sharp command from Knowlton— “Quit that, you fools!”’ The eyes of José and Rand, lying face to face, had opened. Oblivious of all else, the two chiefs had glared at each other and then reached both hands for the throat. Now, without a sound, they were striving to choke each other to death. TO BE CONCLUDED CGOMmIGDOOKSEEO