Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 1, 1922 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

$96 Burk, glancing about him, suddenly dis- covered that he was the cynosure of every eye. Each one of the Bololos wore an air of expectancy, and all were plamly waiting for him to satisfy their hopes. “Look at the ruddy blighters,” grunted Smale. ‘“ Wouldn’t you know that fat fool Lombo would spill the whole yarn to them?”’ “Don’t see that it makes much differ- ence,” commented Burk. ‘“ They’d have to know sooner or later if we’re going to cart the stuff away from here. What now, Piet? If the map’s right we must be with- in two hundred yards of a tidy fortune. Shall we look for it right away? Or shall we eat first?” “Kat,” said Smale. “It always pays to keep natives waiting.” Burk stared at him im admiration. ‘““You’ve a nice knack of self-control, Piet! Me own fingers are itching for the feel of yellow dust.” He strolled away to see about pitching Celia’s tent in the coolest spet he could find. The girl, wearied and worm as she never had been before in ali her life, watched him with apathetic indifference. She knew that these villainous men had come within sight of their -goal, but her exhausted spirits could not react to. the ex- citement of that moment. Her strength was spent, and when Burk finally raised the flap of her tent she was barely able to stag ger into its shelter. She shook her head mutely at his suggestion of lancet. The two adventurers were anrused a few minutes later by the heavy air of gloom that settled upon over a hundred black faces as they sedately proceeded to open cans of food. Even Lombo permitted his jaws to drop in frank disappointment. Anoka, however, preserved the inscrutabil- ity of demeanor that was his predominant characteristic; if he displayed any emotion at all it was revealed by the glint of amuse- ment im his eyes that possibly marked his understanding and appreciation of the mo- tive that underlay the white men’s studied attitude of indifference. Their souls bersting with impatience, Burk and Smale completed their meal with calculated leisure. But it was ended at last, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. and Burk gave a sigh of satisfaction as he drove his fork into the ground and wiped it on his sock in pious observance of the sacred rite of washing up. He came briskly to his feet. “Come on!” he eried. “I won’t wait another minute to tantalize all the tribes in Africa.”’ He led off with long strides that made ““* Cross the river,’” he quoted. “I don’t have to: look at the map te know what it says!” His comrade, with his usual caution, kept watch behind as well as before. “* Here come Lombo and his. everlasting shadow,” he remarked presently. Burk looked back and laughed. “Cheeky swine! Wouldn’t have thought they'd risk it without a bodyguard.” ‘““Hiuh?” Smale raised his eyebrows in surprise. “ Thinking of doing them in?” ‘I’ve had worse ideas!” responded the callous Burk complacently. “I suggest that we leave their fate to circumstances. For all we know they may be planning a bit of fancy knife work on their own.” Satale said no more, but as. they picked a difficult way to the other side of the river bed, slipping and sliding on the water-worn stones of the channel, he surreptitiously drew his favorite weapon from its sheath and tested Hs point on the ball of his themb. “* Proceed two huadred yards west on southern bank,’ ” quoted Burk again as they reached the further edge of the dry water course. He silently counted his paces as he strode along the bank. With Spartan will power he forbere to lock ahead, a victim of the superstition that things too much desired fade from view as they come within reach. At the count of two hundred he stopped short and glanced about him. He gave a long, happy sigh. “* Got it!” he said. Smale came up and stood beside him. ‘Fo the right of them, in the face of a low cliff, Was: a narrow, dark opening. “A cave!” exclaimed the Boer. sure Idoks. gpod to me!” “ ‘Fhat (Toe be continaed NEXT WEEK.) comicloool C©