Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 189: what you’re looking at

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

The Story of William Hyde never come out into the open where he could be fully seen. To the Poonan then he was but a shadow, a shadow only blacker and more monstrous than the shadows of trees and growths; yet a shadow with life, who forever was abroad in the nights. The mention of his name—the Monster Man—was enough to cause any Poonan to shudder; the mere talking of him now caused my bride to shudder; so, though I had learned a vague bit about the Monster Man, I left off questioning her further. Through the next day we kept to the Elephant Cave, my wife and I, and waited. We waited for the darkness of night, during which time we hoped to make a second and ~ surely a successful venture at returning the | Green, Green God; and momentarily, also, through that day, we waited to hear the sound of men ascending the nine stone stairs, the sound of men coming to arrest us. We felt not like potentates but like prison- ers. Yet no command of men strode into our cave to arrest us; no watch of sentries stood guard beneath the palms before either en- trance; no one at all entered either entrance to tell us there was reason for placing us under surveillance. And still, withal, we felt that we were under surveillance. For all day long up and down the avenue passed and repassed Gold- en Men and Golden Women, now in twos, now in threes, and now even in groups of a dozen. They walked swiftly past as if in- tent on some urgent business; but alwaysas they passed our stone, always they looked up suddenly and then as suddenly looked away. Not one of them but did that, swiftly, slyly; and not one of those groups but walked away with their heads held close together in low talk. I watched them in secret just within the Tight-hand entrance. My wife sat within, upon the couch in the half-dark of the cave, the Green, Green God in its basket upon her lap. She had constituted herself a sort of inner guard over the Green, Green God, as I had to watch without at the right-hand entrance. And I watched at that right-hand en- trance to turn any one away from entering therein. I did not want any one to see old Mohong, where he lay in the dark, as I feared some attempt might be made to re- lease him. I did not so much care if any 187 one should enter the other entrance. My wife and I had agreed between us that I should signal her, if any one entered there, so that she should have plenty of time to put the basket down behind the couch, and cover it with the pekang skins, ready to her hand; and then she was to sit upon the couch before it, wholly collected and ex- pectant. We were determined, my wife and I, that should any one come and attempt to pry about, we would keep the Green, Green God concealed at the risk of our lives. We knew that was only another way of saving our lives. We were resolved, therefore, to stand between the hiding-place of the god and any spies; and they would have to bludgeon us down first, I assure you, ere they would win to that hiding-place, and drag forth the Green, Green God. But no- body bothered us, nor so much as halted be- fore our stone, save and except to glance swiftly up at either entrance and thenas swiftly, speaking in low tones, to speed on. It was during the hours following midday, when the crackle of the dry leaves under the feet of those passing groups awoke sounds distinct in all that deadness of heat, that the low words of those passing groups floated to my ears. As a group of women passed I heard one ask softly— . “The poor old Adjie—are you sure?” “Ahél” nodded another. ‘“The Man- Child bound him as we bind a bundle of leaves for a torch. The old Adjie is still in there.” And she looked quickly up at the stone, the others as quickly following suit, and as quickly looking away. A group of men passed then. “Adjie Tumbuk Ladda,”’ one was saying in guttural tones, “Chieftain Long Knife says that either the Great Marshal King is out » of his knowledge, or else he is a devil-devil. | He leaped at the Adjie as though he would eat him. He would have, too, the Adjze thinks, only he fled.” I smiled at that. The Chieftain called Long Knife was he whom I had dubbed “the Gunner.”’ And to judge from that bit of eavesdropping, the Gunner had not seen, | on the night prior, the Green, Green God on the couch in my Elephant Cave. None of the Poonan knew, as yet, that the Green, Green God was gone from the Dobo. Well might I smile. For I knew, thereat, that Lip-Plak-Tengga had not informed them that the god was in my keeping. GEomichboo (S SS) (E(0) ‘ia he nad Ca ei wey “i echt ~~ eo 1 Spe een AA, | | Os RS ge