Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

And the blonde whispered to the fat raconteur: 3 si . “Can you b’'lieve it! And the old boy swallows that gush.”’ os And the fat man, with a wheeze and a puff, whispered back: “Tt’s Lania the old boy’s swallowed. Paul’s just hangin’ on to her petticoat,”’ “That snake!’’ hissed the little blonde, who hated tall dark women as a matter of esthetic principle. “Boy,” said Willerby, “I haven't done a thing for you more ’an you richly deserved. From now on I’ll show you what the friendship of Winston Willerby is worth. By —— I'll see that you make money——” “Not money, W. W. Just your friend- ship. That’s all I want!” It was raw; not another person on board would have had the consummate nerve to say such things in the presence of others, though any one who could quietly get to Willerby’s ear went as far or further. Many of the so-called big men of the earth want their flattery raw and strong, as others want their liquor. They have no appreciation of flavors and delicacy. DuBeque had long perceived what the others had not noticed or, if so, had not had nerve enough to act on: Willerby liked to be praised in public; he enjoyed having spectators. Others shrank from the ridicule of their companions. Paul endured the ridicule and won the guerdon. But then he had more cunning than most people. Any of the others would have been confused, routed, if they had ventured the bluff of going after Hurricane Williams and had unexpectedly been sent. “All ready there, Grogan?” Jackson shouted down from the side. A thick Irish voice rolled back up. “All ready, DuBeque.’”’ Good luck an’ look out!’’ said Willerby. Voices shouted their best wishes, tinged with compliments, as Paul went down to the sea-ladder and got into the boat. ~ “Oh, I don’t know what would become of me!” said Lania in soft-voiced agony to Willerby’s ears alone. “T’ll take care of you—always! Paul’s a _fine boy. May no harm come to him. But you—God! __ Then at the secret shrine of her inner You look great ~to- meet Hurricane Williams and die. ‘ca _ ‘ heart Lania prayed that her cousin would a? , +, 127 =| THE BOAT, after some delay in locating it, landed at the jetty. “Give me a lantern,” said Du Beque. Tt was a black night, with that forbidding, tropic blackness that is most ominous under a half-clouded, half-starlit sky when all the land and bush is one solid shadow. Grogan thought it a strange request fora man who was about to slip into a village. But he produced a lantern out of the locker. “Light it,” said DuBeque. He was very uncomfortable and wished himself headed for the brilliantly lighted Bebe rather than the labyrinthine blackness of the shore. ““Phwat the devil does yez want wid a lanthern whin % “Will you light that lantern and leave me and my business alone?” stormed DuBeque. **Think I want to break my neck wandering around in that bush?” Grogan sullenly lighted the lantern and had some difficulty in concealing the wish that some such thing would happen to DuBegue. “Wait here till I come back,” said Du Beque as he started off, his mouth in his throat, every nerve taut and his fingers tightly gripping the derringer that he had withdrawn from his pocket. He wished that he had not only brought two holsters but every man who could carry a gun. He began to be exceedingly fearful that he had undertaken more than was wise and seriously debated blowing out the lantern and sitting himself down for an hour, then reappearing with some stirring story of what he had tried to do. But he was stung by the knowledge that almost everybody on board expected him to do some such thing as that. His story might not even fool Willerby. The old man had surprizing and fiery moods, and he was not a pleasant one to whom to re- port failures, no matter how they were gar- nished with details of the efforts made. Now it is not for one minute-to be sup- posed that DuBeque would have ventured into Gopassa if he had really believed any of the more barbarous things that he and others pretended to believe about Williams. When the Bebe came in, those on board had been surprized and a little suspicious of trouble because the natives kept out of | é $ t. ‘as