Adventure Magazine Cover, August 18, 1921 — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

The Throwback “—— hot,” he soliloquized in Kafir. “Looks a bit cooler under somé of those trees over there. If I wasn’t so close home —only another hour—I’d go over and rest a while.” He paused and searched himself for snuff. “I’ve half a mind I would go over,” he continued musingly. “An hour one way or the other doesn’t matter much.” With a pressure of his knee he turned his horse and aimed for the kopye, his eyes scan- ning its sides for the coolest spot. ‘Hello!’ he suddenly exclaimed. ‘‘What’s that thing staring at me for? Fearfully big monkey, that.” ‘ Half-way up the hill a dirty, grizzled head surmounting a pair of red brown shoulders was visible. The eyes in the head stared fixedly, in hideous fear, straight at him. “Can’t be a monkey,” he commented as he drew nearer. ‘‘Must be a Kafir. Kafir with a beard? That’s funny. Can’t be one of my people.” The strange thing darted from behind a rock and ran a distance up the hill, only to turn at a new vantage point and stare again. “That’s no Kafir,” decided Babiaan. “Tt hasn’t even got a loin-cloth on. And it’s too big for a Bushman.” At the foot of the kopje Babiaan slid off his horse, let the halter-rope fall to the ground and started climbing. As he climbed the thing above climbed farther from him. It came to an open space and dashed across it. Babiaan saw it fully. Babiaan went back ashe had come. Five minutes later he was galloping steadily in the direction of his kraal six miles away. At the kraal at the end of a winding hill- path the old chief halted and shouted loudly. In droves men came from their huts and squatted silently around. In rapid Mata- bele Babiaan explained exactly what he wanted. The men went to the edge of the hill and shouted loudly. From all direc- tions men who had been sitting in the fields, watching their wives working, hastily rose, hurried in and squatted expectantly about. Three hundred or more there were altogether. “Which of you men is the best runner?” Babiaan inquired. A lithe young man stepped up. ‘““Go at once for the white doctor at the Mission,” the old chief said. ‘‘Hurry.” 10 , 145 Without a word the Kafir turned and, waving his knobkerrie from side to side in front of him in the queer manner of the African runner, trotted quickly off. Babiaan motioned. As one man the Kafirs rose and, falling in behind his horse, silently followed him. The pace was great and in less than an hour the kopje was half a mile ahead. Ba- biaan stopped and held up his hand. The men stopped instantly. Sharply he spoke to the man nearest him. The man passed down the line giving instructions and the men divided into four parties. The old chief slipped off his horse and sat on the ground. One portion of the men crouched in the grass and waited with him. Fifteen minutes later the men in charge of the divisions to right and left signaled to him that the crowd behind the kopje, which he couldn’t see, was in position. At a sign from him all four divisions spread out into a complete circle and started steadily forward. The men came closer, gradually reached the foot of the kopje, closed in tighter and, as they rose higher and higher, formed a compact ring of sturdy humanity. Babiaan climbed slowly above them, peering carefully into every possible hiding-place. The line of Kafirs came to a hole; a small cave under arock. In the dim light two of the Kafirs entered. Next instant they lay on their backs and a frantic creature sprang past over them and dashed from rock to rock up the hill. A horde of Kafirs, agile as rabbits, chased after it. The creature got to the top of the hill and made to descend the other side. A packed mass of Kafirs faced it. Desperately it turned to fight its way back through the crowd behind it. Twenty powerful hands firmly, but kindly, gripped it. Spitting, screaming, biting and kicking its hands were tied behind it. Spitting, screaming and biting tts feet were tied together. Deftly it was rolled in a blanket and tied up. And helpless as a new-born baby, trussed up like a bale of hay, Charlie Maddocks lay on the top of the hill and shrieked unin- telligible vengeance to the startled skies above. The sun had scarcely risen next morning before the doctor arrived. The Kafir had found him at midnight and he had ridden right through from then. The doctor looked long and seriously at Charlie, who was now wide awake. COmiclboook ©