Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 182: what you’re looking at

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

4 % yy ‘ey . <a } Gho STORY OF WILLIAM HYDE AFOUR PART STORY éy PATRICK and TERENCE CASEY Conclusionr SYNOPSIS—William Hyde, his green parrot straddling his shoulder, escapes from an angry Hawaiian mob and is hauled over a ship’s rail and into the forecastle by Kildare, one of the crew, along with Fitzhamon who has also fled the isle for another reason, Hyde, a gentleman born, explains that he was taking money from the natives with a “‘shell-and-pea’”’ game, that he might accomplish the one thing he lives for—to return to Borneo and gain (along with something else) the Green, Green God, a treasure of which both the others have heard. Hyde then hints at a race of Tartars who guard the Jallan Batoe, an extinct volcano in the heart of Borneo, the subject of rumors throughout the South Seas. When Fiizhamon doubts that Hyde had actually seen the Green, Green God, the latter hammers him insensible, and, his experiences flooding back on him, is swept into telling his story to Kildare: While hunting orchids (tells Hyde) I came upon this Jallan Batoe. A golden-skinned people live there —a leftover from a raid of the famous Genghis Khan; live in dwellings hollowed from huge stones that “‘sing”’ when they cool at night from the sun’s heat. Their tradition is that one day a descendant of Genghis Khan, his ‘‘man-child,” with blue eyes and red beard, like the old Tartar emperor’s own, would come—either to lead or destroy them. They looked into my blue eyes, marveled at my red beard, then led me to their Dodo to make me king. There I saw the Green, Green God—a parrot carved from a single emerald. One of these people I loved—my Golden Feather of Flame. One of them, Lip-Plak-Tengga, High Priestess, seemed to know I was only a white man. She loved me, but a fear of her grew up in me. From my throne I learned that these Poonan believed I was about to destroy them—kill all because of a sin committed against Genghis Khan by their ancestors. The High Priestess begged first for them, then for her own life. Drunk with realization of my power, I threw her aside. I wanted only my Golden Feather of Flame and the Green, Green God. And in their terror the Poonan cried to their queen to save them. She fell at my feet and begged me to kill her if I would spare her people. Moved by her noble appeal I threw down my sword. Then it was I learned my Golden Feather of Flame loved me. So I won her for my bride by the Poonan marriage ceremony—a kiss. Enraged at my choice, the High Priestess threatened me, and I learned of a huge, mysterious thing, her slave, which lived in the great Dobo. Later she pleaded with me to cast aside my bride and take her in- stead, promising the Green, Green God should be mine, with free passage to the outer world. I refused. I no longer wanted the priceless god; only paradise in the Jallan Batoe with my queen. That night, in my elephant cave, I awaited the arrival of my bride. Two Poonan guards, Old Mahong and the Gunner paced outside the entrance. Suddenly the High Priestess appeared, bringing, covered in a basket, what she said was a wedding-gift from my Golden Feather of Flame. She slipped away. Soon my bride entered. She had sent no gift. We uncovered the basket, and therein lay the Green, Green God, At the same instant Old Mohong stepped inside. He saw the god and screamed his fear. He believed we had stolen the emerald parrot, that it would come to life, that the destruction of the Poonan was at hand. If he escaped and told, we would be killed by the people. We overpowered and hid him in the cave. poe the i ass guard appeared, I leaped at him, but he fled. And we feared he knew all that had hap- pened within. : do the same to him; and he may have had some greater cause to fear me. But, anyway, it was only fear that caused him to reach that left-hand entrance as quickly CHAPTER XXIV HOW HYDE ANSWERED A GRAVE QUESTION swept on) but he was afraid of me. He had seen how I had served old Mohong; he was afraid I might Cae J QUAT and heavily muscled _as-a ‘Ss pugilist, the Gunner was (Hyde coe | paces beyond him; but he reached that en- trance in a trice, in three huge bounds. And yet, despite his swiftness, I was right behind him. I was desperate to stop him. 180 as he did. That entrance had been ten ~ Gomichooks (EO)