Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

THE THRALDOM OF SINGAN pended from davits. They could see nothing else. The Chauve-Souris was traveling at less than half speed, her engines rattling like a hundred tin cans being dragged over stony ground. She seemed to be gliding through the darkness as a man swims under water. Madame had given John Eade some- thing to think about. This little, powdered lady, to all intents and pur- poses, was master of the ship. So his cousin’s life was in danger. And she was going to Nolak especially to see Charles. Looked like a love affair. Eade was as curious as ever. “And what’s up with Charles?’ he asked. “From all aecounts he has been lost for months. Where has he been to, and who wants to do him in?” “T can not tell you,” she answered. “Perhaps you will be told everything when we reach our destination.” “Tf we ever do,” said Eade. “Of course we shall get there,” she laughed. “Little Quental is himself on the bridge, and he can see in the dark like a wild cat. He is used to it.” ‘And Gottheimer says we haven’t a dog’s chance,” said the American. **There’s no moon until late at night. He thinks we'll run aground before that. And if we do, it looks like a bad business . for Cousin Charles, eh?” “T tell you,’ she said emphatically, *Quental can see in the dark. He has run this ship into worse rivers. than this be- fore now, and with no lights. Indeed, at one time that was his business. I tell you that in confidence.” “All the same,” insisted Eade, “if my cousin’s life’s actually in danger, as you say, it will be a serious thing if we do come to grief?” “There is a boat,” she said. “I expect you know how to row, and Herr Gott- heimer, too, if he wishes. We can not be many miles from Nolak as it is.” “Tf I know anything of discipline on board a packet like this,’ suggested the American, “‘there’s likely to be a panic about nothing. It’s ten to one there’re no oars in the boat.” quick step—and clenched his fist. 143 He could just see enough of her white face in the lantern light to realize that at last he had struck home. She looked genuinely alarmed, and there was a little catch in her breath. “That is perhaps possible,” she ad- mitted. “Could you manage to see if everything is all right? It would be so terrible if I do not get to Nolak tonight.” “There should be no great difficulty about that,” said Eade. “I can catch hold of the gunwale of the boat and climb up the rails. But I shall want the lantern. It’s dark as pitch.” He unhooked the lantern which was suspended at the end of a little deck storehouse—the worst place in the world im which to keep provisions in a tropical country. Eade, who was a tall man, had no need to climb to the top of the taffrails:to look into the boat. But no sooner had he done so than he sprang backward to the deck; while something that might have been a human panther alighted almost noiselessly by the side of him. both his surprise and his balance, for, wearing patent leather shoes, he had nearly slipped and fallen. And then he was aware of the fact that a man was standing in front of him, but a few inches away—a man who had been hiding in the boat. “Who the hell are you?” he cried, raising the lantern which had fortunately kept alight. He stepped back at once—a short, The light had disclosed a tall, good looking Chinese, with the pale, lemon colored face of the Cantonese, very black eyes and a high though slightly receding forehead. He was wearing a pair of white duck trousers and a flannel shirt completely open in front, disclosing smooth, shining skin. The Chinese made no attempt to answer. He glanced rapidly, with the look of a hunted thing, from Eade to Madame Scala, and then for a moment [' TOOK him a moment to recover comicloooks.com