Argosy, Vol. 120, No. 1 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

Said, with easy familiarity. 12 wanted to. He knew, moreover, that there was something more than stubbornness in the face. So he suddenly decided to trust him. _ “It’s true, Mr. Smith. lve been look- ing for a man who could carry out what appears to be a very difficult job for me, and everybody said that Go-to-Hell Smith” —he smiled apologetically—“ was the one man in Far East who could help me— if only I could find him. So you can imagine my surprise when you walked in. Now, this is my proposition: “} represent an American syndicate which is in possession of information to the _ effect that a certain valuable product, the market in which is at present controlled by Japan, can be distilled in commercial quantities from the woody fibers of a hith- erto unexploited tree.” Smith grinned with a sudden quick un- derstanding. That reference to Japan had shown him the ‘way to a daring guess ‘“‘ Ob, you mean camphor, T suppose,” he “ From Dryo- balanops Malayensis.”’ . Nicholson’s suspicion was a sudden rev- elation. He dropped his right hand quick- ly under the table and his shoulders stif- fened as he leaned aggressively forward. Smith’s eyes narrowed and he sat still. “How do you know that?” Nicholson asked tensely. Smith smiled tantalizingly, and groped back in his memory. ‘“‘Oh, I know that the trees are pienti- ful down toward the south; and 1 know that the crystallization is dextro-rotary. Some authorities claim that it will render a product similar to the commercially known Borneol, which will be more fami- liar to you doubtless as C-something-H- something-OH—I’ve forgotten the exact figures.” The pompous words had made a lasting impression. Nicholson looked relieved, and his hand came up from under the table. ‘Oh, you must excuse me, Mr. Smith. -T had not known that you were a scientist” —Smith graciously waved away the com- pliment—“ Well, then, since you under- Stand all that, and know the uses of the camphors, I don’t have to tell you how THE ARGOSY. important it is to my country to develop a source of supply. So we've sent an outfit down to follow up this lead that we’ve got; fitted them up with everything necessary, the best that money could buy ”—Smith smiled his thin smile at the recollection of the. blatant tents and the shiny new trap- pings which he had seen—“ and now, frankly, Mr. Smith, we’re kinda worried. ‘That was something over a month ago, and we’ve had not a whisper from them since. The arrangement was that they were to report by messenger every week how they were getting along. Of course, I don’t know that we have any call to get excited, because we got permission from the com- missioner at Imphal and on his advice we sent a stack of presents down for distri- bution to the chiefs; but, darn it, why don’t they communicate?” | ‘“ Did you send anybody to find out?” asked Smith. ‘ “ Lord, man, how could we? I under- stand the jungle there is so thick you could wander around within a mile of them and never know they were there unless you knew where to look for them. That’s why we've been waitmg for a messenger giving exact location. They’lh be needing supplies and all that by now, so why don’t he come along?” “Now this bdbacksheeskh that you sent along, are you sure that old man Mata- Pembe didn’t grab it before it ever got to _the lesser chiefs?’” Smith asked judicially. ‘‘ Absolutely. We were warned that we ought to get to the other men first, so our agent, man with the best recommendations I ever saw, fellow called Pappadopoulos—” .“ Hal” ejaculated Smith, and sat up straight. ‘“‘'What’s the matter?” Nicholson’s face was blanched with apprehension. Smith’s eyes were thin slits) He was searching back into his memory and weigh- ing his wore ‘“‘ Now this Pappadopoulos; lemme think just where E‘connect him. Ah, yes, he’s a greasy actin’, dark-faced swine of a Levan- tine pearl-shell thief, isn’t he?”’ Nicholson knew none of these things against the man, but he nodded. Somehow the description seemed to fit. : COMiicboo Saco) un