A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

rine 5 grim. “This j is a—a feud, you might say. And I’m the hunted one. I’ve done a lot of hunting-in my day, and now I know the other side of it. It’s not pleasant.” »Jorman sipped at his drink. “You—this enemy. He’s been after you long?” “Three years.” The Englishman’s voice was low, a bit unsteady. In his mind Jorman could see the big man leaning forward, arm braced against knee, face set in grim lines. “It began one night in London, A rainy night like this. I was running over some clay tablets that were waiting deci- phering. Part of the loot from the tomb of Tut-Ankh-Tothet. The one the stories in the papers you referred to were about. “T’d been working pretty hard. I knocked off for a pipe and stood at the window looking out. Then I heard it.” “Heard it?” “Heard him.” Carraden corrected him- self swiftly. “Heard Him hunting for me. Heard his footsteps—”’ “Footsteps ?”’ “Yes. In the pitch-black night. Heard him tramping back and forth as he tried to locate me. Then he picked up my trail and came up the garden path.” Sir Andrew paused, Jorman heard the bottle gurgle again. “My dog, a great Dane, scented him. He was frightened, poor beast, and with reason. But he tried to attack. He tore the dog to pieces on my own doorstep. I couldn’t see the fight, but I could hear. The beast held him up long enough for ~me to run for it. Out the back door, into the storm. “There was a stream half a mile away. I made fog that, plunged into it, floated two miles down, went ashore, picked up a ride to London. Next morning I left London on a freighter for Australia be- fore he could pick up my trail again.” Jorman heard the archaeologist draw a deep breath. “Tt took him six months to get on to me again, up in the Australian gold coun- try. Again I heard him in time. I got away on a horse as he was forcing into my cabin, caught a cargo plane for Mel- bourne, took a fast boat to Shanghai. But I didn’t stay there long.” “Why not?” Jorman asked. He fancied that Carraden had shuddered iy eae Ce” As rr AIPIVIAT Bayi? Oca FANTASY “ a. oe “Too much like his own country. Con- , ditions were—favorable for him in “the: Orient. Unfavorable for me. I had bi hunch. I hurried on to Manila and took. , a plane for the States there. Got a letter — ; later from an old Chinese servant that he arrived the next night.” ~~ ORMAN sipped slowly at his Scotch — and soda, his brow knitted. He did — not doubt the man’s sincerity, but the — story was a bit puzzling. : “This fellow, this enemy of yours,” he. — commented slowly, “you said the Orient was too like his own country. I assume you mean Egypt.” q “Yes. He comes from Egypt. curred his—well, his enmity there.” | ‘“He’s a native then? An Egyptian na- tive?” Carraden hesitated, seeming to choose his words. . “a “Well, yes,” he said finally. “In away you might call him a native of Egypt. Though, strictly speaking, he comes from another—another country. One less well. — known,” ! = “But,” Jorman persisted. “I should — think that you, a man of wealth, would — have all kinds of recourse against a na- tive, no matter where he might be from. — After all, the man is bound to be conspicu- ous, and ought to be easy to pick up. [ know you said the police could not help — you, but have you tried? And how in | the world does the fellow follow you so | persistently? From London to Australia’ — to Shanghai—that’s a thin trail to run. ~ down.” a “T know you’re puzzled,” the other told him. “But take my word for it, the police are ‘no good. This chap—well, he just isn’t conspicuous, that’s all. He moves — mostly by night. But even so he can go ~ anywhere, a8 “He has—well, methods. And as for — following me, he has his own ways of doing that, too. He’s persistent. "So aw- fully, awfully persistent. That’s the horror of it: that blind, stubborn persistence with | which he keeps on my trail,” ‘<7 Jorman was silent. Then he shook hiss aa head. — “T admit you’ ‘ve got me curious,’ ‘he. told Carraden. “I can see easily enough as CONNIEIOO &.com _~ “i a» re I im- .