Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 1, 1922 — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

THE JU-JU MAN. upon her stupefied senses. Small but in- sistent, like the scratching of the tiniest of mice, it continued to play upon her ears until her full attention was attracted. She traced the sound to the rear of her tent, where something was scraping at the can- vas, and after a brief hesitation she crept cautiously toward it. Very carefully she raised the edge of the canvas, and immediately a black arm, with its fingers clenched, was thrust into the tent. It placed something at her feet and was swiftly withdrawn. She uttered a soft cry, and her heart beat faster with new hope as she stooped and recovered the curved claw of a leopard! CHAPTER XI. THE LEOPARD SNARLS. "WAYO, for it was he, slipped quietly away from the tent after giving Celia the token of encouragement. He moved swiftly through the shadows in the direction taken by the white men, gliding along as soundlessly as a leopard, until he came as close as he dared to the fire by which they sat talking. He lay behind a bush and strained his eyes and ears to their utmost. By catching an occasional word that he could understand, and by watching the changing expression of their faces, he was able to follow their conversation with some degree of success. “ Why did you interrupt my little téte-a- téte?” inquired the big Irishman plaintively. ‘‘ Somebody always has to keep you from playing the giddy ox,” retorted Smale, “ and usually it’s me. Ain’t you got brains enough to savvy that we’re sitting into a pretty tight game, and that Celia Holden is the best ace we’ve got up our sleeve?”’ ‘““‘You mean as a hostage?” ‘“‘ Just that. There is a pair on our trial that will follow us like bloodhounds, but they won’t dare attack us while we have the girl in our hands. We'll always have one trump left as long as we’ve got a knife at her throat. They’ll have to stand by while we vamose with the gold—and then we can think about giving her up! I guess we'll do it if we know what’s good for us, 879 but if you act the fool and harm her we'll be in for the worst fight of our lives.” Burk grunted discontentedly. He flung another log on the fire and watched the sparks dance merrily upward into the vel- vety blackness. The light from the blaze grew more brilliant as the dry wood burst into flame. ‘' But I like the girl!’ he complained. ‘ That’s how the trouble usually starts,” observed the Boer morosely. ‘‘ Think twice, Dan, while the thinking’s good. You have done pretty well in this affair; you can start a bank with the gold or a jewelry shop with the diamonds. What more can a sensible man want?” Burk’s hand reached into his bosom for the second time that evening and drew out the buckskin bag. He did not venture te open it, but he held it up before his eyes and patted it affectionately. ‘‘ Diamonds!” he exclaimed, his voice shaking with eagerness. ‘“ A king’s ransom in diamonds! ”’ “Put ’em away,” cautioned Smale sourly. Burk obeyed, then stretched his long limbs with a prodigious yawn. “ Lord, what a life!”’ he said thoughtfully. “ You’re right about the girl—blast you! Ill leave her alone for the present, anyway. And now I can do with a bit of sleep.” The two men rose and sought their blan- kets, passing within five feet of the spot where C’Wayo was stretched, a shadow among shadows. Burk hummed a tune as he went, and linked his arm in Smale’s for all the world as though no difference of opinion had ever come between them. The big man, like all of his race, was capable of swift changes from hot to cold, from anger to good-fellowship. Nevertheless, the shrewd C’Wayo had seen enough to convince him of one im- portant thing: the Boer’s nature was the stronger, and his the dominant will. More- over, the witch doctor carried away with him the vision of a small bag and the mem- ory of the musical word “ diamonds.’ There were plot and counterplot afoot that night in the camp of the Bololos. While the two white adventurers were discussing their hopes and plans for the future, the crafty Lombo was wide awake comicloool C©