Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 182: what you’re looking at

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

176 lantern is going to be our Star of Bethle- hem, John, though we’ve got to keep at a safe distance, or Pai may-hear us. [’m going to leave the most important part of the business to you, Valérie. If you find out from Pai that we’re on a path that leads straight to the launch, or if you suddenly catch sight of the lights of the launch ahead, halt—to give us time to get up to you. Say you're tired or too frightened. I'll back Headley and myself to catch that scoundrel alive, stop his mouth and tie him up toa tree.” “And then,” asked Madame Scala, anxiously, “you save my father? Bat- tista means what he says. My father is no use to him now. You will have to be quick.” Cartwright answered her tenderly. It was so dark that they could not see one another; but John Eade suspected that Charles had taken her hand. “Trust to me,” said he. ‘God knows how this night’s work is going to end. But whatever happens, I won’t fail you, Valérie. I'd rather die.” “J understand,” she said in a very quiet voice. “I will do what you wish. It is the only thing—our only chance.” T THAT ‘she left them without another word. They heard her run lightly and swiftly down the steps of the bungalow. On the veranda they stood listening, and presently could hear voices a little distance down the road. Cartwright grasped his cousin by an arm. “Come along,” said he. “Valérie won’t hurry. She'll give us all the time we want, but we’ve got to get a rope and something that will do for a gag at Headley’s.” They went down the steps, and at the bottom walked on the stiff, short grass, the peculiar wild grass of the Malay Peninsula that stands upright like the bristles of a wire brush. Pai and Madame Scala were on the gravel roadway, for they could hear their footsteps a little way ahead of them. It was so dark that it was difficult to discern even the outline of the tall palm CHARLES GILSON trees. Nothing else but the shape of these could have told Cartwright when he had reached Headley’s bungalow, for the gate, lying in a bay of shrubs, was invisible. “Wait here, John,” said he. “T’ll be back in less than no time. We’ve got to let Headley know; and besides, we want him. If Liu Tang’s with Scala, we’ll have our work cut out.” “What about madame?” Eade asked. “She and Pai will be out of earshot in two seconds. Supposing we don’t find them again?” “Little chance of that,” said the other. “About three hundred yards farther on this road ends at nothing. He’ll have to go into the jungle, and he can’t do that without lighting up. Besides, I don’t propose to be away for long.” Eade had had time to feel anxious, and with him was Headley, who an- nounced that he had a loaded revolver, a six foot length of rope and a thirst that he wouldn’t swop for a hundred dollars. Cartwright had already explained the situation to his manager. And the three of them set off in Indian file, Cartwright leading, Headley next, but they had not gone far before Charles came to a halt. “We had best wait here,” said he. “TI know where we are. There’s the pine- apple plantation on this side of us where the ground drops down toward the river. If we wait, sooner or later, we’re bound to see a light. “And ten to one I know the jungle path he means to take,’’ Headley whispered. “Last week I shot the biggest pig there I’ve ever seen in my life. Ive got his tusks at home. The old fellow looked as if he could have ripped up an elephant.” “We're after something a damned sight more dangerous than a wild boar now,” said Cartwright. “If what I’ve heard’s true,” said the other, ‘‘the man’s something worse than a scoundrel. By God, to think of selling his wife to a Malay!” “You wouldn’t be surprised at that if you knew him,” said Charles. “Scala’s | Bee he was back again before comicloooks.com