Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

64 For a long while Hampton lay helpless. At last he managed to sit up, and despite the burning anguish that enveloped him, began to chafe his wrists and ankles, which were cut and bleeding from the thongs. With the restored circulation, his head was whirling with the access of pain, when he looked up to see two figures passing by. They were Dias and Ramon; both men were too occupied to notice him, and halted a short distance away. To them came run- ning a half-naked Indian. Dias flung a question at him: ‘You are from the harbor? What is it?” Hampton comprehended that they had been signaled the arrival of this messenger, and had come forth to meet him. The pant- ing Indian made answer. “Si, mi senor amo! We have sighted the schooner, that of Sefora Dias, which was left behind. The wind is very light, how- ever, and she cannot get in before some- time tonight.”’ “Good,”’ exclaimed Dias heartily. sign of the other schooner, my own?” “No sign, sevor amo.” Dias waved his hand. ‘Bueno! Return and tell your comrades that they may come in at sunset; there will be no need of keeping watch at the harbor tonight.’’ Dias and the tall Yaqui turned and strode back up the cafion, but Hampton sat in absolute dismay. Unconsciously, despite its impossibility, he had cherished a faint hope of escape by way of the sea, for he knew that the schooner which had brought him must be still lying in the hidden harbor. Now this tenuous hope was completely dashed. This second schooner, which had taken the devilish sefora south and which she had left to follow her, had arrived in time to block even the faintest chance of escape. After a little Hampton gained his feet with some difficulty and staggered down to the creek. There, standing in the cool water, he laved his hurts and drank his fill, unhindered; and gradually returning to a sanely balanced mind, found himself not vitally hurt—the strain of the torture itself had worn him down more than the actual suffering. He made his way back to the barracks, now deserted. Finding his own shelf-bunk, he discovered in it a bundle of rags and an earthern bowl containing some grease. Mentally blessing Pap Hoskins, he daubed “No Adventure the grease on his wounds, wound the rags about his body, and then crawled into his bunk. He was asleep almost instantly— his last conscious thought a memory of the dark features of Ramon the Yaqui. IV Re WHEN Hampton wakened again, re it was to darkness. The reflection eet Of cooking fires outside cast a very faint glow into the bunk-horse, where men were talking and smoking; th2 slaves of Dias were not supplied with lights, but were given a goodly allowance of tobacco. The guards at the entrance were checking off those who entered, as usual. Hearing a soft sound of sobbing, Hamp- ton put out his hand and found his brother lying at his side. Eli gripped his fingers quickly, with a low word. “Dick! I’ve been half-wild today—to think that it was to help me you came here = “Shut up,’”’ said Hampton curtly. “Tm not hurt. Did Hoskins tell you about to- night?” | “Ves.’? Eli controlled himself. ‘‘You’re feeling able to walk?”’ “Able to do more than walk, I hope,” said Hampton grimly. ‘I don’t say that I enjoyed myself, but I’m not much hurt. Hoskins got me some grease that helped a lot.” ‘“‘He was keeping that to use on himself— Dias threatened to burn him, last week. Well, Dick, you’ll have to let me over next the wall; if I’m to finish cutting the hole, it must be now before the noise quiets down. T’ll get out first.” 2 There was no room for Eli to crawl over his brother, so when the bunk was clear, Hampton sat up and swung his feet to the floor, while Eli crept in past him. Much to his own surprize, Hampton found him- self in much better condition than he had anticipated. Every movement cost its share of pain, naturally, yet his freedom of movement in general was not restricted; and on that unhappy traverse up from Panama, Hampton had learned anew the admirable results of muscular pain coupled with necessary exertion. All seamen were compelled to learn that lesson at bitter cost—yet Hampton had now learned it in ways not of the sea. “T’m fit enought,” he muttered to Eli, as micloool © in