Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

890 takable voice, speaking the universal lan- guage of Poros: “Cabot, Cabot, O Myles Cabot!” CHAPTER XIV. PORTHERIS. _ ABOT,”’ said the voice, “ do you not C know me? Do you not recognize him whom you rescued from the spider web and who afterward spared your life near Saltona, although you had robbed his honey store? It is I, Portheris, who speak to vou. Put down vour gun and give me help, or I perish.” There could be no longer any doubt as to the source of that mysterious voice; for it was the whistling bee who was speaking. Cabot sheathed his weapon and, switching his controls back to the normal range of Cupian speech, he instructed Hah Babbuh to put up his weapon likewise. Hah, who, of course, had hearcl nothing, was much mystified, but nevertheless obeyed his superior. Switching to the bee’s wave length again, Cabot said: ‘“* Portheris, once you spared me. ‘<A life for a life.’ I am yours to com- mand. How badly are you hurt?” ‘“T cannot exactly tell. But I think and hope that it is nothing more than a broken wing-joint.” At Cupian wave length Cabot then asked: “Ts there with our army any one versed In insect ailments?” ‘ There is,” replied Hah, ‘“ for my aide, Emsul, studied such under the ant-men at Mooni. But surely you do not contemplate helping this bee, for it is well known that the whistling bees, although unwittingly they are assisting us in this war, yet never- theless do not themselves distinguish be- tween Cupians and Formians as enemies.” ‘“‘ This bee is a friend of mine,” asserted the earth-man, “ and will not hurt Emsul, if I tell him not to. Quick, send for Emsul, for if he can save the life of this whistler, T believe that we are on the eve of an im- portant accession to our forces.” But Hah was still unconvinced. “How can you ‘tell’ him?” he asked, “for whistling bees cannot talk,” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, “YT can whistle, though,” laconically re- plied his superior. So a private was sent on the double quick for Emsul. The veterinarian, when he arrived a few paraparths later, approached the wounded insect most gingerly; but finally his pro- fessional curiosity got the better of him, and he plunged into his work. It was the first time that any physician, either Cupian or Formian, had ever examined a live bee, and accordingly it was a great day for science! Emsul’s inspection convinced him that all that was amiss was a broken wing and Shock, and that with care Portheris would entirely recover, so a huge litter was im- provised. Then came the question of get- ting the enormous creature onto this litter. He was too weak to be of very much as- sistance; but. by dint of great effort, and much prying by means of poles, and some kicking by the bee’s own legs, they finally got him on. Then six men grasped each end of each handle, and bore the striped Creature in triumph to headquarters, where he excited the wonder of the entire staff, and not a little fear. To appreciate the situation fully, we must use an earthly analogy. Imagine a party of British officers hunting in the jungles of India in the company of a near- human creature from another planet—say Mars, for instance—and coming upon a wounded man-eating tiger. Imagine the man from the skies talking in apparent si- lence with the tiger, and then informing the astonished hunters that the tiger is a friend of his, and must be brought into camp and treated for his wounds. How could they know that the ferocious beast would not turn and devour them, when cured, or even during the process? Only a supreme confidence in the man from the other planet would induce them to go through with the program. But the Cupians had just such a trust in Myles Cabot, and so they dared to risk be- friending the bee. Emsul set the wing-joint in a splint, and several green cows were driven in for the bee’s delectation. These satisfied his appetite, and he slept. When Portheris had rested, Cabot, call- Conn lDOOlK