Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

The Blond Spiders “What d’you make of those lights, Ples- sons?”’ asked Tony, who was examining them through his glasses. “Village, isn’t it?” “Dunno, Mr. Westlaike. Seems kind of too regular for a village, don’t it?” “But there can’t be any whites down there already, can there?” demanded Bodi- ker anxiously. “Africa’s a funny plaice if yer askin’ me. Rivers without water, flahs without smell and shouldn’t wonder if there’s whites where they didn’t oughter be.”’ “All of which,” said Bodiker pleasantly, ‘“‘means that you don’t know.” “How d’you reckon we're going to get down?” inquired Tony. ‘‘Doesn’t look too steep from here.” “Pretty crumbly, but ‘Why, what on earth’s that?” exclaimed Bodiker, who was also using glasses. ‘That silvery stuff on the cliff there?”’ “Cobwebs,” replied Plessons—directly, for a wonder. “Bit farther dahn the cliff is covered with a kinder scrub smothered all over with cobwebs. It’ all arahnd, too. Looks queer in the sun like as if some one had upset tins of condensed milk all over the plaice. Never see anythin’ like it in me born life!’ “Spiders, eh? Yes, they arel Start about fifty feet down the cliff. Good God!” Bodiker ejaculated suddenly. ‘What’s that?” Tony took a step forward and gazed in- tently at the spot indicated in the crook of the jutting cliff. “Am I drunk, or what?” he cried. Plessons, look quick!”’ “Where? Where?” bawled Sawyer. “Lemme look, Phil!’ “Here, “Cripes!”? exclaimed Plessons. “Why, there’s some more of ’em! But the beggars don’t shine— Yus, they do! ——! See that last un? It’s got eyes like a flashlight. Nah it’s gawn!”’ “What d’you make of it?” said Tony. “Dunno, gov’nor. like it.” “They were coming up, weren’t they?” “Vus.”’ “What was it, Alick?”’ clamored Sawyer. “T don’t know. Didn’t look like an animal nora man. More like— By ——, yes; one of those drawings of a Martian in Wells’ stories!” _ Matshane Who’s that guy? Amurri- Never see anythin’ 17 can?”’ queried Sawyer with a quake in his voice. “Say, I’m off! I ain’t going ter butt inter any ghost party. Come on, Alick, fer the love 0? ——!” “Pm going arter them blokes,” said Plessons. ‘‘Mr. Bodiker, will yer lend me yer rifle?” “T won’t!” snapped Bodiker. got to take us back to camp.” ‘“‘What!” exploded Plessons angrily; and, bending slightly at the knees, he looked as if he were about to spring and take the rifle by force. In his eyes was an expression Tony had never seen before; far more deadly than Sawyer’s homicidal glare, for there was sane purpose and courage behind it. “No; come along, Plessons,’’ said Tony gently. “We can pick up their trail to- mofrow.” Plessons averted his eyes and said slowly— “All right, gov’nor.” V “Vou’ve m) TONY was aware that his own nerves were getting so raggy that he I could scarcely control himself; the heel of the brake of a sense of obligation was wearing mighty thin. And the sudden flare-up of the usually imperturbable Plessons was another symptom; he was becoming fed up. The return to camp was made in silence save for one sarcastic comment from the Australian about the inability to shoot spooks with a rifle. At the “hour of the monkey” Tony and Plessons were up and having coffee before the fire. In a sharp voice Tony warned Bodiker that they were taking the tra “All right,” replied Bodiker meekly, “We'll come.”” And the two grinned in the firelight at the sleepy muttered curses proceeding from the green tent. From the crest of the hill where they had stood on the previous night the dewy masses of spider webs sparkled in the rising sun as if a million shawls of gauze covered with tiny sequins had been placed by fairies upon the scrub clinging to the cliffside. The jutting cape beneath resembled a wedge of cake falling sheer at the: tip quite two thousand feet into the vast arena below which, so mysterious in the moonlight, was now dense forest resembling a frozen, choppy sea of brilliant emerald. cComiclbook CO 5}