Adventure Magazine Cover — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

Om “Why did you attack me?” “Why not? Youhad said, the lama shall have the stone. Therefore it was clear to me that you must have it. Therefore if I should take it from you I could sell it to the lama. Iam no fool!” Ommony with something like content- ment in his eye began to translate for the benefit of the others as much as he could re- member of Dawa Tsering’s tale, tossing oc- casional questions to the Hillman to get him to repeat some detail. It was the company the lama kept that seemed to interest him. most. “If you like,” said McGregor when the tale was finished, “‘I’ll have the house of those Tibetans searched.”’ <j IT WAS plain enough by the ex- oF pression on Ommony’s face that he was about to refuse that offer, but his words were cut short by an uproar on the porch. Diana—on guard and there- fore incapable of being tempted from her post—was barking like a battery of six- pounders, with an intermittent whine thrown, in to notify Ommony that she begged leave to pursue a fugitive. He strode into the hall and listened—heard re- treating footsteps—some one in no hurry pad-pad-padding firmly on soft-soled shoes toward the garden gate. He opened the door and Diana yelped for leave to launch herself in pursuit. She glanced angrily at a long, narrow, white envelope that lay on the porch floor under 85 the electric light, and resumed her furious salvos at the gate. ‘So-ho, old lady—some one you knew brought a letter, eh? You weren’t indig- nant till he threw it down and retreated. You never said a word while he was coming up the path.” He wetted his fingers and tested the hot night air. ‘‘Uh-huh—wind’s toward you—recognized his smell—that’s clear enough. All right—good dog—on guard again.” He picked up the envelope and walked into the house. “Did you tell the lama where you were coming tonight?” he asked, standing over Dawa Tsering, looking down at him, “Aye. I did. Why not? How should I know, Ommonee, that this was not a trap —and I with no knife to hack my way out of it! Suppose that you had thrown me in the jail—who should then have helped me unless the lama knew? I am no fool.” “Did you tell him that I said he shall have the green stone?” “Nay! How often must I say I am no fool! Would he buy the stone from me, after I had told him you said he shall have it?”’ “The letter! The letter!” exclaimed Mrs. Cornock-Campbell. “Are you made of iron, Cottswold? How can you hold a mysterious letter in your hand without dying to know what is init! Give it to me! Let me open it, if you won’t!”’ Ommony passed it to her. Gregor lighted another cigaret. John Mc- TO BE CONTINUED NOOK C© in