Adventure Magazine Cover — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

148 had recovered from their consternation at the hunters’ strange resurrection, and one by one had joined their bolder fellows in the fight. Before this augmenting force the hunters had to give ground, and soon were stumbling over the bodies of their still comatose fellows. Now came a strange scene. At Lean Ak’s command the hunters struck at their enemies with an access of vigor and rage, and at the same time they kicked savagely at their prostrate comrades. These, re- ceiving kicks of an effectiveness scarcely less than those the vindictive fishermen had achieved, roared with pain, seized weapons and got up and joined the stubborn fight. By this time the cave was dreadful pande- monium. ‘The two clans fought to the tune of terrible yells. Wounded men screamed as they went to the floor. The women and children crowded to the farthermost corner of the cave and shrieked incessantly. The din reached its height as Lean Ak singled out Ufu the Great, who had been clubbing valiantly along with his men, and attacked him in a manner to indicate to the chieftain-magician the difference be- tween a hungry man and one who has spent the night digesting rhinoceros steaks. Under the vindictive blows of the hunting- chief’s bludgeon Ufu the Great sank to the floor swooning. The hunters shouted in terrible joy as they saw this; and now, reinforced to full strength by their awakened fellows, they began a final wild push. The fishermen gave way and retreated to the cave entrance, fighting more weakly each moment. The hunters were driving them panic-stricken through the entrance into the open when the stampeded crowd of fishermen recoiled violently. As if in a mad fit of terror, and with no attempt to fight, they rushed back against the hunters, seeming as if they would trample them un- der foot. Lean Ak and his men were car- ried across the cave by the plunge of the frenzied mob. As the fishermen cleared from the entrance a shaggy cave leopard sprang through the opening. It was followed by another leopard. 4 THE party of merchants, aiter ie having received their hundred bone *° fish-hooks from Ufu the Great, had gone their way apparently. But really they had stood at a distance and had Adventure watched the carrying-away of the sleeping hunters, Then after the fishermen had left the vicinity the merchants returned to the river- bank, unearthed the remainder of the rhi- noceros carcass, built a fire and devoured a second meal. After this they went their way, leaving the fire burning. _ Sparks from the fire presently had set the sparse, dry vegetation afire. The flames had spread, and soon a lively grass fire was sweeping among the hills, | During the course of the night it reached the haunts where the two leopards had taken refuge after having been driven by Lean Ak’s men from the neighborhood of the cave. The leopards fled in terror be- fore the racing flames, and continued their flight even after the sweep of the fire had been checked by a stream. They were wandering, distracted with fear, on the hillside near the cave entrance when the fishermen emerged into the open. These, catching sight of the great cats, lost their fear of the hunters in a greater fear, and in crazy panic turned back into the cave. The two leopards, cowed and trembling, followed the men into their refuge. The hunters were carried to the rear wall of the cave before Lean Ak was able to extricate himself from the struggling throng. His fighting mood turned to the new enemy; the hunting tribesmen, too, no longer struck at the fishermen when they saw their natural foes, the leopards. Lean Ak took a flint knife between his teeth and a short, stout spear in his hands, and advanced slowly upon the leopards. Several of his men followed to support him. He was filled with the spirit of the new fight, a fight which, it seemed, he should not have. The leopards’ fear was heightened by the. hearth-fire and shouts of the men; there was no fight in them; they cowered on their bellies against the front wall of the cave. Then as Lean Ak went forward, one of the hunters back with the fishermen, having secured a bow, loosed an arrow. The shaft set itself in the haunch of the male leopard. Instantly the brute was snarling with pain and rage. It crouched and sprang upon the hunting-chief as he approached. Lean Ak received the charg- ing beast on the point of his spear, and flung it back. he leopard retreated and crouched for a second charge. COME OO (E@