Adventure Magazine Cover — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

142 Hamid entered with a tray, on which were two bottles, a bowl of ice, a fresh siphon of soda and two glasses. Hickson poured out three fingers rapidly, gulped it down feverishly, twisted his face in a grimace, smacked his lips and murmured— “Rank stuff!” Hamid prepared a second glass in a more leisurely manner, filling it with chipped ice and foaming soda. He caught the English- man’s eye and both involuntarily broke into broad grins, Hamid murmuring, ‘Effendi, you cool the eye!” and Hickson, “‘Good old Hamid!” At the same instant there appeared the cook, a long, dark, furtive Goanese, fol- lowed by a little fat shuffling chokra with nothing on but a footah—a garment like a colored petticoat twisted about his waist— and a skull-cap, both bearing dishes of food hastily retrieved from the remains of Co- husac’s repast, and looking appetizing enough in the fresh dishes. At their ap- pearance Hickson jerked nervously about in his chair and looked hard at them. The Goanese whispered a faint greeting; the chokra swelled with self-consciousness. “Well, well, Diego Felice Fernandez! How are you?” said Hickson with relief. “Sticking to Mr. Cohusac, what! It’s light- er work now with the gang away! Seems empty without ’em, Cohusac; doesn’t it?” “Tt is empty.” “Lonely, what “Yes. Lonely.” “T don’t get a chance to feel lonely; and yet, do you know, so help me bob, you’re the first European I’ve laid eyes on in three weeks!” “Impossible!” exclaimed Cohusac _in- credulously as his friend began to eat his meal with a famished air, occasionally lifting his head to mumble replies with a full mouth and look quickly about him. ‘‘How is it possible for you to be here with- out having seen some one—at least at Steamer Point?” “Didn’t come that way,” said Hickson. The servants had retired. Hickson paused to make sure that he heard their voices below the landing. He waved his fork toward the dark, ragged mountains. “Came that way,” he said. “What!” exclaimed Cohusac softly, lean- ing over the table and watching his friend greedily. “Dhow,” explained Hickson. 1) “Tm play- Adventure ing hookey. I suppose your blasted ser- vants will blow the news all over town in the next few hours. Oh, well, kathur! * Vl be on my way by that time. There! I’ve finished’ that. Thank for a hearty meal! Well, old boy, if you’ll just get Hamid to clear away the wreckage I’ll tell you everything. Matter of fact, I want your help.” COHUSAC clapped his hands, and . the servants reappeared and cleared the table, while Hickson rose, light- ing a cigaret with trembling hands, and walked over to the parapet whence he looked down upon Aidroos Road, shadowed in square patches by the buildings that lined it. He listened in silence, smoking, col- lecting his thoughts, harkening to the irregular bursts of sound that rose above the curious, incessant murmur of the bazaar. ‘“‘What’s the bright bluish light over by the courts, near the edge of the mazdan?”’ he asked over his shoulder. ‘“‘A cinema,” said Cohusac. down. We’re alone.” “Fancy! Good lord, I might go down and see a moving-picture show!” “We'll go tomorrow night,” declared Cohusac with enthusiasm. Hickson gave a short laugh. “No chance. If the wind and the all- merciful Allah favor me, I’ll be in Africa again tomorrow.” He sat down at the table with his lean freckled hands twisting and untwisting be- fore him. At last he reached over impul- sively and laid his hand on the Frenchman’s forearm, which felt bony within the sleeve of the mess jacket. “Old boy—I—I’m awfully sorry to see you crocked up like this! They told me you got it bad; but—but I didn’t expect— Well, hang it! The contrast, you know, of you sitting there like you are now—and, eh, and the way I remember you right here on this roof 2 “T feel it myself,” said Cohusac. ‘Some- times I feel it very acutely.” “Is there much pain?”’ “Well, naturally. But not always. If I’m distracted it doesn’t bother me so much. You look worn yourself, Hickson.”’ Hickson shrugged with an air of con- tempt, as if the physical burdens that were * No matter! “Come. Sit Go DOOLK 1 @)