Adventure Magazine Cover, June 20, 1925 — page 171: what you’re looking at

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

“and of Gideon!’ on the friendship I had for your father.”’ His voice was harsh and there was some- thing essentially brutal in the glint of his eyes. D’Andra looked up at the ceiling, a mock- pious expression on his face. ‘Dear Gonzales,” he murmured. “You are so primitive. You talk to me as if I were one of your niggers whom you were preparing to sjambok.” He brought his watery, blue eyes down to meet the other’s beady, black ones. Then he laughed softly and wagged an admonishing forefinger. “Tt is most gauche of you to bring the man- ners of the veld into my office. You i “One would almost say, ‘into your bou- doir,’’’ Gonzales interrupted scathingly, and with a contemptuous gesture he indi- cated the soft draperies which shaded the window, the soft cushions, the array of toilet preparations and the dainty orna- ments which cluttered the room. When his roving eye saw a bowl of incense which was burning before a jade image in a corner of the room he lost all restraint. . !’ he roared. “It is that which stinks! When will you be a man?” He squirted a stream of tobacco juice into the jar, then opened a window at the back of the office with such force that a pane of glass was shattered and tinkled in tiny fragments on the flag-stoned courtyard of the fort. A gentle breeze fluttered the curtains; a breeze that was heavily laden with manifold odors—and not one of them pleasant—of an ill-kept, tropical city. D’Andra put a scent-drenched handker- chief to his nose. ‘At least you will admit,” he said faintly, his voice muffled by the handkerchief, ‘‘that the incense was better than this breath of ) “T admit nothing,” Gonzales said heavily. “A hyena smells much worse, and a kaffir hut—’ He broke off with a snort. “Now tell me what you want and let me go. Per Dios! Tf it were not for memories of your father I would wash my hands of you. What is it this time—more money? What do you do with your pay and the money which importers are always willing to lose in the pockets of a custom official?” “T am not asking for money, Senhor Gonzales,”’ D’Andra said stiffly, “though that is always welcome and, if you have a little to spare——”’ 153 “What then—’ Gonzales ignored the hint— ‘“‘Women?” “Women I can handle without any assistance.”’ “That £ can well believe. You should understand them iully—at least as well as a woman understands a woman.” He cursed under his breath when D’Andra ignored the insult. ‘Well, what is it,” he demanded sharply. “I have much to do. Tomorrow I trek for the country of the Makalanga.”’ D’Andra sat erect. ‘That is Macombe’s country,” he stated, as one making a great discovery. “Of course, yes,” Gonzales said tolerant- ly. “You are not quite as ignorant as I thought.” ‘And you are going there.” “As I have said. I go to escort a so learned professor from the university of Lisbon who believes that he can locate the lost mines of Solomon. A fool’s errand; but he pays well and it will be a peaceful change after ivory hunting in the British lion’s territory. “You nearly lost a foster father on my last trip, D’Andra. A mounted policeman missed me by three inches and before he could get his sights on me for another shot { was across the border with all my carriers and a fine lot of tusks. He was a fool not to fire again—even if I was across the border. But your Englishman is always a fool. “He obeys the laws—except when he breaks them all; even then he appeases his conscience by saying, ‘I am the law!’—and so I thumbed my nose at that fool trooper. He cursed and swore and shook his fist at me. But that was all and I posted no guards around my camp that night even though only a little streamlet separated us. “And now—’” Gonzales shoulders shook with laughter—‘“T return to a district which that trooper sometimes patrols and I shall thumb my nose at him again. He can not touch me for my little professor has letters” from the British Colonial office giving his expedition safe conduct; furthermore, it is ordered that we be shown every courtesy and given any assistance we may require.” D’Andra rubbed his hands gleefully to- eether. “It could not be better; if I had had the planning of it I could not have done better,” he murmured. COMIGDIOOKSEEO