Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

44 and Job wakened into action. He had a seaman’s gift for using his imagination, and now he used it to a remarkable extent. The lady listened to the recital with only perfunctory attention, however, lazily using her fan and watching Hampton rather than Warlock. The brain behind those dark eyes was busy, and Hampton, realizing the fact, was only too glad to seize the first opportunity of rising and taking leave. ‘‘We promised to be at the Astor House by dark, and it is nearly sunset now,”’ he said. ‘‘We have arranged to get a room there, or else at a small tavern in this same street; so we must be on hand to secure it. Also, we must look for news of Senor Day.” The senora did not protest, and rose to say farewell first to Job Warlock, smiling into his eyes as she did so. Then she struck a gong on the table, and the Chinese servant who had admitted them made his appearance. ‘‘Sefior,”’ she said to Job, “‘you expressed your admiration of my tobacco—I shall have this servant give you a packet of it, with my compliments. I trust that I shall see you very shortly; perhaps at the com- andante’s grand baile on Sunday night, for which I shall secure you _ invitations. Hasta la wsta:”’ Warlock, finding himself dismissed, winked over the lady’s shoulder and moved toward the patio entrance. The sefiora turned swiftly to Hampton, as the latter bowed over her hand, and clutched his fingers. He felt something shoved into his palm. ‘“‘Here, sefior! Take this, and in time of trouble it may be of use to you. Preserve it carefully; you will find that I am not ungrateful to my gallant Basque adven- turer! You will return—when? Tomorrow evening when the moon rises?”’ ‘Senor, if I am in this city tomorrow evening,” responded Hampton, forcing a smile to meet those disquieting eyes, ‘‘the power of Sefior Diablo himself shall not keep me from looking into your eyes! H sta la vista.” “Hasta la noche,’ corrected the sefiora, and smiled after him as he departed. Five minutes afterward, the carven doors closed behind the two friends, and they were in the almost empty street, the heavens above and the ancient stone walls and houses tinctured with the red glare of sunset. Hampton wiped sweat from his brow. Adventure “T said it,’ observed Job Warlock whimsically. ‘These Spanish girls all look twice at a fair-haired senor whose gray eves i Hampton’s fingers closed on his arm. “Stop it! Job, you have plenty of money? Then get off in a hurry and find that Mex skipper of yours; tell him we’re in danger of our lives from Americans—any story you like. The point is, we must get out of here at the earliest possible moment. Bribe him to sail at dawn, if you can.” “But—” began the staring Warlock. Hampton checked him energetically. “No time to talk now; explain later. Arrange for ourselves and our Indian servant, and do it at any cost, savvy? If we re here tomorrow, we'll catch it hot and heavy. Get along with you, now, and back to the inn on the jump. I'll have dinner waiting for you.” Comprehending that some urgency threatened, Warlock paused not for more argument, but departed at a run. Hamp- ton, drawing a deep breath, started more calmly for the inn. “That was a stiff job, and a mighty mean one!’ he reflected uncomfortably. ‘“‘But she asked for it, and she got it. How far she meant well, heaven only knows, and I’m sure no judge—she lied like a good one, though, and if I can get her started on the trail of her precious spouse, so much the better. All’s fair in war. Just the same, I want to be out of town when she wakes up to the truth.” Feeling the lady’s parting gift in his sweating palm, he looked at the object. This proved to be a small flat tablet of ivory or bone, in which a gold ring was inserted for suspension by a cord. Upon the tablet were incised those same two characters which Dias used as a seal or brand, and the incisions were filled with blue paint. Hampton was swift to comprehend that this was a token which would be recognized by any of Dias’ men; the sefiora had not spoken falsely in describing its potential value. He thrust it into a pocket and turned in at the tavern entrance. D’Aquila, wrinkled and gentle, met and led him through a crowd of peons to the passage, and in a few words Hampton arranged to have dinner served in their private room in an hour’s time. Alone, he stretched out, lighted his pipe, micloool C© in