Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

M3 ; thick as a grass mat. Wiping raining sweat from his eyes, the enthusiastic doctor plugged on down into a bog to his waist, dragged himself up the other side and on—and on—and on the little man struggled until quite suddenly the trail disappeared in a patch of jungle as The doctor hunted _ .furiously about—then with more care. No ‘ sign of blood; the blood-trail had disap- peared entirely; not even a broken grass stem or twig could he find. Perhaps he had overrun the trail? ; He cast about in circles. Fatigued and panting, he sat down to rest and wipe his streaming face. Just as he was about to make another effort, it suddenly occurred to him that the shadows seemed very dense. He glanced up through the leafy roof. The glittering ball of the sun was topping the trees. In a panic he snatched his watch. He stared incredulously at the hands point- ing to a quarter past five. Only another three-quarters of an hour to sunset. “___!? he muttered disappointedly. “T’'ll have to give him up now. [’ll go back and help Yamagulu finish the skinning.”’ A rational and wise decision of the doc- tor’s. He stepped forward briskly, hesi- tated, made a pace and stopped altogether. He glanced about in a bewildered childlike fashion at the wall of tree trunks festooned _ with creepers, “When the devil—what the—oh.” Again he stared around more incredu- lously. Then very softly he said— “Oh, God!” ah HE HAD no more idea of the direc- ee tion from which he had come than of the secret of the cult. He was fatigued. So he sat down again, sagely concluding that he might as well rest while he thought the matter out systematically. Yes. Systematically; that was the thing to do. Now where was the sun when they had killed the buck? Um. Ah. At first he _ was sure that it had been over his right shoulder; then as equally positive that it had been behind him. Finally he con- wa that there hadn’t been any sun at all. F or a few moments the doctor was occu- Pied in informing himself exactly how many different kinds of a fool he was; he be- thought himself of Yamagulu and proceeded _ to inform the. African continent what par- ticular ‘species of criminal idiots it pro- yh os it —_—S . e . es * ie ‘The Tree of Life 163 duced. Then he plucked at his beard and glanced at his watch again. Remained about forty minutes of daylight—that is, forest semi-gloom. Tropical twilight was the only thing in Africa in a hurry, decided the doctor bitterly. Then he rose deter- minedly and, choosing a direction at ran- dom, made the amusing assertion that he would continue in a straight line. Within twenty yards he was bogged; he tried another direction and found impene- trable thicket; a third attempt found an- other bog. A puzzled wonder as to how the deuce he had ever arrived where he was if the confounded jungle was nothing but swamp-holes was broken by a brilliant idea. Of course! He would just fire a few shots which would bring the fool Yamagulu to him. Accordingly at intervals of half a minute he proceeded to carry out the scheme, which, however, was arrested by the appalling discovery that he only had left another ten cartridges—with the probability of spending the night in the jungle. For a while he stood still, trying to con- centrate upon listening for the expected yell from the succoring Yamagulu. In a few moments he became aware of the voice of the forest: a continued twittering hum, murmurs like lachrymose sighs, tiny squeaks and whispers, mysterious rustles, a sudden chatter and a harsh squawk, then a faint hooting. He fired another two cartridges in rapid succession. The echoes appeared like derisive laughter. A sudden screech behind him made him start convulsively. !’ he muttered as if afraid to speak too loud lest some one hear. “I need a dose of bromide.”’ The gloom appeared to be deepening with a hissing noise as if it were slithering through the leaves. Erupted unbidden into his mind an exact knowledge of African car- nivora. He glanced questioningly toward a tree. Images of gorillas and snakes shut- tered his eyes swiftly. He grew violently angry with himself at the discovery that he was searching for things in the darkness. Suddenly he cursed aloud, as if challenging the whole menagerie of animals, and started off swiftly straight ahead of him. Fighting with an impulse to run, strug- gling to suppress imagination, the doctor plowed on, tearing far more desperately than he realized, through thickets of creep- ers, tacking beside swamp-holes. Firmly he persisted in telling himself his exact medical 4 “_ Le ae ee 7 ow fe ww, ’