Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

148 Souris with a definite purpose; and the purpose of a man who carried a weapon like that was not likely to be philan- thropic. Anyway, both the Portuguese captain and the little French lady knew very fell who he was—though they preferred to keep their knowledge to themselves. Eade got to his feet and stretched: himself. The mosquitoes were singing about his ears, though the smoke of his: cigar kept them at a safe distance. Well, tomorrow, whether or not Quental suc- ceeded in getting the boat off the mud, he would make it his business to find out everything he could. And, if they would tell him nothing, he would make in- quiries at Nolak. It was more than likely that his cousin, Charles Cart- wright, would be able to clear things up. With that reflection, and remembering that the lady proposed to monopolize the deck for the night, he resolved to turn in. And at the foot of the steps on the after- well deck, he came face to face with madame herself. She was dressed in pajamas of dark silk, and was smoking a cigaret in a long holder, and in her right hand she carried an electric torch. The Chinese steward came out of the darkness behind her like a ghostly, shape- less bundle. He was loaded up with a mattress and blankets; and little of him was visible, except the ends of his white ~baggy trousers and his soft felt shoes. “You're not afraid of the mosquitoes?” Eade asked her. “Oh, no,”’ she smiled. “I am used to them. Like human beings, they have their preferences. And, besides, there _comes a time when one is almost im- mune. I have lived in the East too many years.” She tripped up the few steps that led to the poop, where Eade heard her giving her instructions to the boy as to exactly where he was to spread her mattress. And then, suddenly, he remembered the knife that he had left on the deck. He had noticed that she had nothing on her feet but a pair of silk bedroomslippers, CHARLES GILSON through which the sharp blade of that bloodthirsty weapon would slice like a razor. “Look out for that Chinaman’s knife!” he cried. “I left it up there. I ought to have taken it away.” She came to the rails above the well- ‘deck and looked down at him. “That is all right,” she laughed. “I have found it and put it on the seat. Quental tells me that Liu Tang is safely under lock and key. That is well—well for us all—and your cousin, Charles,” she added. “Sleep well, my good American. You will find it hot in your cabin. If you are wise, you also will come on deck.” “Tell me,” he asked, “aren’t you frightened to sleep there—almost in the jungle.” ‘She laughed again. “I do not fear the jungle,” she said. “Do not think that I am nervous because I was afraid of Liu Tang. ” | turned and walked amidships. Un- der the bridge there was a light in the captain’s cabin; and looking in through the porthole which gave upon the main deck, he could see Quental stretched out upon his bunk, wearing a suit of very dirty pajamas, uncovered by either blanket or sheet. If John Eade was going to get at the truth, why not now? Why shouldn’t he wake the man up and insist upon knowing why Quental had risked his ship, why he had wanted to kill Liu Tang, and who Liu Tang was? Eade was dead sure that somehow or other his cousin was mixed up in this affair. And, besides, the Portu- , guese was interfering with the liberty of a citizen of the United States. You couldn’t put a patron to great personal in- convenience and refuse to give a reason. Eade tried the door, and found it both locked and bolted on the inner side. Seizing the handle with both hands, he shook it violently, using all his strength, hoping that the noise would wake the sleeper. Then he went back to the porthole and Si: DISAPPEARED, and Eade comicloooks.com