Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

468 projected before her as it should have been, and another which was not hers stalking beside it. It did not occur to the poor old dame to raise an alarm? What was the good of meddling with the great spirit of the river, which assuredly had invaded the village? She crawled back to bed and lay trembling so that the flooring shook. . Awakened by a cold touch upon her arm, Katherine started up. Steady green eyes were staring into hers, and she could see the dim outlines of a something which crouched in the darkness beside her bed. Light fingers swept her lips, and a warning hiss silenced the cry of alarm which arose in her throat. The creature tugged gently at her sleeve and pointed a shadowy arm toward the doorway. . “Who are you? What do you want?” Kate whispered. Still pulling insistently at her dress, the odd presence moved in the direction of the door. “* Nee-Nak!” That appeared to be the limit of its in- telligible vocabulary; but it was enough. Without an instant’s hesitation, Katherine arose and followed. She had seen Nee- Nah once, and she felt that she could trust ue girl. Jim Arnold had come to no harm at her hands, Anyway, anything was preferable to this gloomy savage village and the at- tentions of its painted chieftain. She peered out to see what had become of the Huachipairi sentinel, and saw him lying on the sward, his limbs twisted and - his head doubled under him. Terrible as was the sight, it reassured her and gave her fresh confidence in her guide. Outside the door she turned to look at ‘him. Though he walked within arm’s length of her, such was the intangible qual- ity of his skin ‘and its strange resistance to - the moonrays, that she saw him only as a moving outline, indefinite and elusive. Into the shadow of the river wall he led her rapidly, and along it until they reached its intersection with the rear pali- sading of the stockade. In the angle of the walls he groped and found a dangling it hissed, and again, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. rope of bark, which he tied under Kate’s arms. Monkeylike, he scrambled to the top of the watl, hauled her after him, and Jowered her on its outer side. He jerked loose his rope, coiled it about him, and leaped after her. They started westward along the river bank. Before they had taken twenty steps, two other forms arose in their path. A warm and comforting hand grasped Katherine’s and drew her into a patch of moonlight. Nee-Nah stood before her. “* Ah-meer-e-can—he there?” questioned the girl eagerly, cutting short Katherine’s thanks with an imperious wave of her hand and pointing at the dark loom of the stockade. ‘‘ Where Ah-meer-e-can?”’ ‘“‘ American?” repeated Kate perplex- edly. “Yes, yes! Ah-meer-e-can! understand? This his.” Nee-Nah drew from her girdle Arnold’s automatic pistol. Kate took the weapon wonderingly, saw Jim’s name cut in its walnut -stock, and believed that she understood. “You mean Mr. Arnold,” she answered. a ‘No, he is not there. I thought he was with you.” Nee-Nah’s face fell. She took back the pistol. “T lose him,” she replied laconically. ““ Where can be?” Kate’s information was a distinct facer You not for the girl, who had counted on Arnold . being a prisoner among the Huachipairis after she had discovered the village. Fearful for his safety, she had decided not to wait for the arrival of the Paititian army, but to attempt his rescue herself. . Hualla had gone eastward to meet his countrymen, and so was unable to interfere with her. For a number of nights she had watched the village anxiously; and by day either Rasco or Jaqui had lurked in the neighborhood; but they had seen only Katherine. Then Nee-Nah ‘had resolved to release the white woman, though she felt small friendship for her, and learn from her, if possible, where Ah-meer-e-can was to be found, nigina | fre KG Onn STATE UI ST] < ~ THE OF 10