Adventure Magazine Cover — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

Pearl-Hunger were too rigidly swollen. She opened it. No one was in the cabin. Gloria and Oxenham were on deck. He, having a lot of useless knowledge in his head, was telling her about the stars, naming the constellations. Raeburn had the wheel, and with envy- less jealousy watched them. Old Wateman strolled about, empty pipe in his mouth, mumbling a sort of inarticulate staccato. In the cabin Heddon went to the mirror: let into the bulkhead behind which he knew that Bennings had craftily concealed his treasure. In the mirror he now again saw his own battered face. He looked frightful. He wondered that this. woman had not turned in shudders from him. But she had been after something, and when after some- thing she did not shudder easily. There was, for instance, Jeffries; and her willing- ness to pay—pay bitterly. He examined the mirror closely, but now as a time or two before when he had curi- ously looked at it, he saw no hinges, no locks, nothing that suggested a way it might be opened; but it did open, for he had seen it open, the whole mirror off, with Bennings busy at what lay behind. ‘“‘Call Gloria,’’ Heddon said. Margaret went out, and returned with Gloria and Oxenham. “How do you open this thing, Gloria?” “Open it?” Gloria looked at him with a mystified steadiness. “Does it open? I don’t know. Why does it open?” “You don’t know?” he said, not half be- lieving her. Pretended ignorance would be one good way to guard her wealth, and he was in a mood of suspicion at all women. Besides, her steady gray eyes had an impenetrability that may not have been merely the blank- ness of innocence. “Vou don’t know?’ Heddon asked again. She shook her head— “No, I don’t.” “Then it’s time you found out.” He peered closely about the wood. “Get an ax,’ he said to Oxenham. Oxenham returned from the top deck, followed by old Wateman who carried the ax. ‘“‘What’s in the wind, Will?” asked Wate- man, looking suspiciously about. “Smash open that mirror.”’ ‘Are ye gone crazy!” “Break it open—open it up.” vn “Break a lookin’ glass! I'll ne’er put on another divin’ suit if I do!” “See here, Tom. This woman thinks Bennings had a lot of real pearls. Bennings hid all he had behind this mirror. I want to show her that they are French pearls.” “Ye do?” asked old Wateman, mystified. “Ves. And a quart of them is not worth a hundred dollars, though few péople can tell the difference.” He looked hard at old Wateman, who caught the glint of a warning and reluctantly grumbled: “Aye—right—aye. worth nothin’.” “Then break it open, Tom.” “T don’t want too, Will. No—there’s ill luck’ll come.” He shuffled nearer, raised the ax, lowered it. “If I do, I'll ne’er put on another helmet, I won’t!”’ Heddon reached out impatiently with his left hand, touched the handle, but his swollen fingers would not take hold. Then: ‘“‘There’s no bad luck when you break a mirror on purpose. It’s only when you do it by accident. Smash into it, Tom!” “Are ye sure?” “Of course I’m sure. Get busy, put the ax into it!” : Tom raised the ax and struck with the edge—not into the mirror, but into the wood, then pried a little. He chopped care- fully, prying each time, and started the mirror-door of the secret cupboard. Those in the cabin gathered behind him, breathless. Chop—chop—chop. The ax took a deep hold. across the mirror, and a crack appeared. Old Wateman stepped back, staring nervously. “That’s all right,” said Heddon. on!”’ “Tt ain’t awright! I was bein’ careful. I didn’t mean to do it!” “Tt’s done. I'll take the curse. My fault anyhow, open it up!” Tom, now with the air of a man fore- doomed, so nothing mattered, defied his fate by a reckless crashing of glass. Pieces of it shivered and clattered. More blows, and the door came open, falling to the deck. On the very narrow shelves of this now exposed secret cupboard were little boxes securely fastened between pegs, so that they would not slide about when the ship rolled. “Take them out, Tom—any one.” Two quarts ain’t “Co NOOK 1 @)