Adventure Magazine Cover — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

They Always Run True to Form it was a pair of steady, glaring eyes. the eyes stared fixedly into his. For a second Bertie was dead. Then with a curious smile he seemed to come to himself. He’d been there before. Surely he had. This was the lion rats. He’d had lion on the brain for the best part of a week, now he was seeing ’em. The smile broadened. This was a new one, something unknown before and Ber- tie’s very own. The lion rats! Who'd ever heard of ’em? And it was rather a nice sensation. Amusedly Bertie waved a hand gracefully back and forth before his face to drive the rats away. Once more he looked across the flickering blaze. The eyes stared squarely at him! With a sickening feeling Bertie labo- riously rose to a sitting position. The eyes followed his every move. And again he made the mystic passes. And still those two lamps glared calmly at him. Slowly, numbly, dumbly it entered Ber- tie’s errant brain that it really wasn’t rats. And he was disappointed. The eyes moved and looked up. Quickly they came down and Bertie reached behind him for his rifle. Something beside the eyes moved slightly and Bertie hesitated. The something moved again. Nervously the hand reaching for the rifle grappled for it. The rifle wasn’t there! The staring eyes moved higher, int ever owned them was standing up. And Bertie’s heart stopped beating. Slowly his muzzy head went clear. Drops of cold, salty perspiration formed upon it. Formed and rippled down his clammy cheeks, and he was paralyzed. The something by the eyes moved again and Bertie’s gaze was fascinated by it. The something moved higher up and Ber- tie’s gaze went higher and higher. Far, far above in the air was a long gray beard, above the beard a face. And the face was that of an old white man. And still the glaring eyes were fixed on Bertie. Slowly the eyes moved round the fire. Moved round toward him, came closer and closer. With silent halting footsteps the lioness approached. Came nearer and nearer. Hypnotized, paralyzed, fascinated, frozen, Bertie sat helplessly waiting. His legs And ‘with it. 139 were numb, his body was numb, his brain in hopeless terror. The lioness came.to him and appraisingly smelled him over. Smelled him with little, appreciative, happy snorts. Face and chest and arms. Her nose came round to his back. And the donkey scent on his shoulders! She grunted. With a startled, whimpering squeal Bertie was on his feet and kicking furiously. Mem-_ ories of schoolboy days flashed into his tot- tering brain—flashed in tinaided. “Call your darned dog off! Call your darned dog off!’’ he howled instinctively as he jumped and staggered backward— jumped and danced and wriggled.: A tree got in the way and Bertie’s back collided The lioness was a yard away and still coming. “Lie down, Cora. Lie down!’ came calmly from the lips of the graybeard. Cora’s eyes turned peacefully to him. Meekly, lovingly, she obeyed. a A LEAN; sinewy Kaffir stood in the entrance to the hut and called softly. The sinking moon squarely behind him threw his dense shadow clear across the floor. : “M’Lungu. M’Lungu,” the Kafhr mur- mured anxiously. With strained ear the Kaffir listened in- tently, then came inside. “M’Lungu. M’Lungu,”’ he said again and he stooped to shake a shoulder. The graybeard stirred and rubbed his eyes. Once more the Kaffir shook him. “T have found them, M’Lungu,” he whis- pered earnestly. ‘Found them a long way oft. ) “Found them, M’Poine? Where?’ Instantly the oraybeard was.up and wide- awake. “Where?” he asked again—asked very seriously. “Tn the hills near Radi Tladi’s, M’Lungu. Six days away from here.” “Six days!” With a quick turn the gray- beard was across the hut. ‘“‘Six days, eh?” “Wake up, Bertie. Hurry!’ he went on. And he rocked the sleeping Bertie violently. “Wake up. Ineed your help. Now!” Lazily Bertie turned over and opened his eyes. The eyes, almost clear, looked up inquiringly. ‘‘What’s the trouble,Frank? What’s up?” - The graybeard pointed quickly to the Kaffir, FA Gomicbooks. con; + ee Me