Adventure Trails, February 1929 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

— ives an hour he swept the land- : ~ scape as with a fine-tooth comb. Finally = he exclaimed exultantly. A faint bluish haze curled above a dense patch of tropical a Reerduce on a distant slope. He glued his eyes on the scene, and in a few minutes _ ‘was rewarded by the sight of a lone rider approaching. Near the edge of the clump 5 of trees he drew rein, and a moment later what was evidently a sentry, crossed —- cartridge belts upon his chest, came up - to the rider. After a brief conversation = they both disappeared into the green. ; a “Gotcha!” exclaimed Ted. He studied the terrain carefully, both through the _ glasses and with his naked eyes, and at __ last slipped the glasses into their case with a little sigh of satisfaction. : “By taking it easy, I can make it by - dusk. Then with a little reconnoitering I ought to get near enough to listen in and pick up some valuable information.” He had figured it out just about cor- rectly, for just as the long shadows of the mountains started stretching across the country, and the cool breath of eve- ning was beginning to make itself felt, Ted reached a spot so near the grove of trees in which he believed he would find the headquarters of the organization he was to stamp out that he decided to dis- mount and go the rest of the way on foot. At first he slipped along on foot, dodg- ing from cover to cover quickly and silently, but when he began to hear the faint sounds of voices he abandoned this method for the still more quiet approach of the snake. Flat on inis belly he writhed along, gain- ing only a few inches before stopping to , listen and look about him. It was a dan- gerous proceeding, for the long grass and the rotting vegetation were abiding place of numerous insect and reptile enemies, but he had to take the chance. INALLY he won through to a position a= just behind a large boulder, around eS the side of which he could gain a fair ga view of his quarry, . * It was undoubtedly the place that he See sought. A space under several of the - ADVENTURE TRAILS larger trees had been worn bare of grass by many feet, and several smaller trees had been cut down to make a semblance of a clearing. Fires of carefully dried and selected wood flared here and there, sending up scarcely perceptible spirals of faint blue smoke. Around the fires were gathered a motley assortment of Mexicans. There were old men there, with blankets thrown across withered shoulders, and young caballeros with bravely colored garments of dashing cut. Some of them were the very lowest type of mountain Mexican; some were representative of the more prosperous merchant class. From the anxious looks which they all cast from time to time in one direction, it was evident that some- body of importance was expected. Ted looked carefully, but he did not succeed in locating the little Mexican with the blue eyes. He strained his ears to hear what was being said, but could only catch occasional snatches. ~ “If I’m going to get much good out of this little trip, I’ve got to get close enough to hear what it’s all about,” he decided, and slowly and with infinite care he started wriggling nearer. Suddenly, in the very middle of a movement, he stopped and stared unbe- lievingly. Coming slowly into the light of the glowing fires rode two figures: the first, the little Mexican of the cantina and the several other episodes, and a squat, heavily bearded figure with malignant features and evil, searching eyes. The bearded man wore, instead of a sombrero, a tight-fitting black cap, with a golden band running around its circum- ference. The front part of this band rose to a sort of crest, and balanced on the point of the crest was~a life-size, jointed model of a scorpion, done in shining metal, and fitted with jeweled eyes that flashed with evil red light as the horribly lifelike scorpion nodded and swayed. Nor was this all. The huge, powerful figure was clothed in a long robe of some soft gray stuff, split front and back so that he might ride, and falling on either side to his stirrups. A great peaked hood, m <S (E(@)