Adventure, November 1915 — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

The Gold Lust On board the Wavecrest, Addams could see Peggy busy throwing the gaskets off the sails, and Winton working at the forward capstan, heaving short the anchor-cable in readiness for instant departure. They shot alongside and the gold was taken up the side-ladder and deposited for the time on deck with the rest. “Touch and go!’’ cried Winton. “We only sighted them as they rounded the cra- ter. Selim couldn’t see them from the ridge.” Ah Sing and Selim had carried the body of Loo Chow forward and now came aft again. “Here’s an extra hand,” said Addams, indicating the renegade who stood by the rail. ‘I’ve promised to take him back. Keep your eyes on him, Jim.” “Where are you going?” asked Winton. “We haven’t any time to lose, Archer. And where’s Foo Chin?” “That’s what Ah Sing and I are going to find out,’’ Addams answered, as the China- man followed him into the boat. “Get up your mainsail; I’ll be back in time.” They swiftly covered the distance to the shore and raced across the sands to the ridge, up which they scrambled, following it north in the direction taken by Henley and Foo Chin. Along the reef the Lez Lehua slowly crept toward the entrance to the lagoon. CHAPTER XXV CHECKMATE / yf DDAMS and Ah Sing raced along the promontory ridge, bending low to avoid observation from the Lez Lehua. There © was little time to spare in the search and every moment increased the risks to the maximum that Addams was willing to take on behalf of Foo Chin. In the lagoon the Wavecrest, all sails set, her anchor ready to peak, was mirrored in the water, only casually flawed by the un- certain-breeze. The Lei Lehua beyond the reef, close to the coral, yawed unevenly in the furtive spells, barely under steerageway. They looked eagerly for signs of Henley and Foo Chin. The little beach along which the giant Chinaman had pursued the killer of his tong brother was deserted. At the crater end was a rubble of lava boulders, forming a rough stairway to the rim of the bowl, up which the chase must have pro- gressed, unless both were lying somewhere 69 among the rocky masses, dead at each other’s hands. They scrambled up the last rise, panting with their efforts, and looked down into the - burned-out pit of Kalaulipelipe. A bullet zipped between the two of them and a chink of éufa splintered at Addams’ feet. A wisp of smoke showed from the rail of the Lez Lehua and the report of a rifle floated up to them. “Saw us through the glasses,”’ said Ad- dams. “Get under cover, Ah Sing. They must realize their little plan to catch us nap- ping failed. We haven’t a minute to lose; they’ll be firing at the Wavecrest as soon as they get in range. As long as they’ve seen us, Ah Sing, give Foo Chin a hail.” Ah Sing made a trumpet of his palms and -shouted: ““Hi-i-i-lo-ah!!” A flock of birds rose like spray from the farther side of the crater-bowl, as the echoes bandied the call back and forth. Beneath them the abrupt slope was hummocked with blocks of lava of all shapes and sizes. Ah Sing grasped Addams by the wrist and pointed downward, shouting once more. Foo Chin was searching among the masses of lava as persistently as a hound that has run his fox to earth. He paid no attention to Ah Sing’s signal, save by a dogged shake of his head as he continued his relentless pursuit. “We can’t wait for him much longer,” said Addams, who had stayed at the rim, anxiously watching the Lei Lehua’s slow but certain progress along the reef toward the channel entrance. “T tell him to hully up,” answered Ah Sing as casually as if Foo Chin’s detention in the crater were a matter of little moment. “Eyah! He find Henley. Lookee!”’ Foo Chin had stopped, alert, listening for the repetition of some sound that had caught the quick ear. They could see the whites of his eyes gleam as he turned his head from side to side. In one hand shone the long blade of his knife. The crater-bowl was abrim with silence. The wheeling birds had settled down again. Addams fancied he could hear rather than feel the beating of his heart. Below, noise- less on his bare feet, Foo Chin padded toward two masses of fire-distorted rock, between which lay a narrow rift. As he reached the crack the sharp spit of an auto- matic sounded, then another, and from the \ GEomichbooks (E@