Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

24 show yer where you get off. Iain’t going ter stand fer none of this Y. M. C. A. stuff.” Once more his eyes returned to the be- loved belt; then he grunted and followed Bodiker a bit along the trail. Tony and Plessons looked at each other. “Give a fool enough rope and he'll allus hang hisself,’”’? commented Plessons amiably, squeegeeing sweat from his forehead with two fingers. “Yes, they both seem to have had a classical career. At Sawyer I’m not sur- prized, but the other’s new on me. Wonder what it was?” “Oh, nothin’ serious. Murderin’ an ol’ widder or snippin’ pigtails orf flappers goin’ to school. Somethin’ taisty. But yer’d better sleep with yer gun full cock nah, gov’nor. That slab-sided bloke means ter get us both for them sparklers.” “Ves,” agreed Tony, likewise removing perspiration. “That’s understandable. I could kick myself when I think of how I fell for that Bodiker. Yet he certainly seemed a good fellow and —— gen- erous. Of course that was part of the con game to kid me along. Yet I can’t under- stand why I didn’t see through it.” “Like me muvver used to s’y when I wus no bigger than a horse bucket. ‘Jack,’ says she, ‘in love and business yer’ve gotter be a good liar and a good thief ter get on in this world, else yer won’t never know what the other bloke’s trying to do ter yer.’ That’sright, gov’nor. My pa busted a wonderful career by pal-ing up to a little Judy. Didn’t get what she was arter. Well, he got hanged fer bushrangin’, and she got the reward. There y’are! Fine man too!” *My pet cootie, as we used to say in the army,” said Tony, “that keeps me awake o’ nights is what on earth they were after before?”’ “Dunno neither, gov’nor. But—they was and ¢sf”’ “T know it! But what in can I do? I can’t shoot ’em down in their tracks, and I can’t well disarm ’em in a country like this. You see, Plessons, I’ve been up against it all along because it was Bodiker who put up the money for this outfit. But there are limits. And I think I’m justified in—well, kicking and then some, now that l’m convinced that for some incomprehen- sible reason Bodiker had meant to get me— even before the diamonds came along. Adventure “By the way,” he added with a sunny smile, ‘I haven’t got the diamonds. Hid ’em in the bamboo grove. There’s only grass in the belt. Too heavy to carry.” — “Why didn’t you tell ’em?’’ “Because I —— well wouldn’t!” Tony grinned. ‘Besides, I wanted it to draw fire and see what they would do, and I think it’s about due now. Listen!” Above the forest chatter they could dis- tinguish the hum of voices, mostly the bass tones of Sawyer. Very evidently a stormy session was in progress. Came an explo- sion of profanity on Sawyer’s side followed by a muffled cry that was snapped. “Eh, Wangie,” said Plessons quickly to the porter, “go to the hut and stop there. Enda kerchima (go quickly). Enda!’’ “You're right,”’ whispered Tony, listen- ing intently; “he’s either killed brother Bodiker or has put him out, and is coming whooping on the warpath. Listen! Sounds like a troop of elephants!” ‘I s’y, gov’nor,” suggested Plessons, ‘‘let’s slide in through the back and see what his nibs is up to.” As he turned he snatched off ‘his. Tirai hat, and stuck it on a branch about where they had been sitting. Tony, grasping the idea, whisked off the belt and flung it across an aerial root. Then swiftly they slipped through the tangled screen of creepers into the jungle behind them, lying down so that they could command a clear view of the arbor, having no fear that Sawyer, city bred, could read the signs. The crashing of furious steps dwindled, but to the watchers’ veld trained ears the advance of a clumsy body was as plain as if they could see it. Even came a distinct muttered curse as the stalker got his feet entangled in a vine, making Plessons laugh silently. Apparently it never occurred to the circus Indian that he could not hear voices talking as they normally should be. Presently they distinguished his head worming through a screen of creepers and his rifle being pushed in front. He stopped suddenly as if sus- picious or puzzled. The head moved first one way and then another, evidently trying to locate them. Then as if satisfied by the sight of the hats the rifle came up. With the crash of the shot, which struck the bole of the tree beneath the hat, Sawyer, who had apparently painfully figured out his CoOMmicbook A) CO =