Adventure Magazine Cover — page 155: 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 “Looks like it, Frank. But if we came in surely we can get out, can’t we?” “Tf ever we find the way. And if we live. But you can bet they wouldn’t bring us here so carefully unless they meant to keep us mighty safe.” The graybeard licked his parched lips thoughtfully. “Tf they meant well, they’d at least have left water,’ he went on. “Not a drink for twenty-four hours and more.”’ The leaping fire died down and in its dy- ing flicker two of the Kaffirs went over for more wood. Again it blazed up. Deftly M’Poine twisted half a dozen bundles of twigs into the form of torches. Lighting one he handed the others to a native, then spoke a few words to him. The lighted torch moved away into the distance, moved till it seemed but the tip of a safety-match—moved over a full two hundred yards. The torch came to a wall of stone rising in an arching dome hundreds of feet above. Fitfully the torch moved away and round it—moved in an irregular curve hundreds and hundreds of feet. The torch commenced to die down and M’Poine lighted another. Still the flame drew into the distance and became fainter. The forms of the men were but little specks in - the tiny glare. The flame came to a black spot, entered it and turned a corner. Next second, but for the suggestion of haze where the torch had been, the darkness was im- penetrable, solid, choking. : : A For more than an hour the cave had been utterly silent. “M’Lungul M’Lungul M’Lungul’” came again in a shrill whisper. Excitedly a native whispered back and . continued whispering. The sound of footsteps came nearer; careful, searching, nervous footsteps. The footsteps of one barefooted man. The man came up and felt for his comrades, then sank limply beside them. ‘“Where’s the other man?” one of the three asked anxiously. “T know not. He went,” M’Poine said with very apparent horror. “Went where?” ¢ ‘D own.”’ “Down?” the graybeard queried. “Vehbo, M’Lungu. My brother and I found the passage in a long winding passage an “M’LUNGU! M’Lungul M’Lungu!” Ke going up and down. We followed it, M’Lungu, till our last fire was almost finished. Then my brother stepped into nothing and went down. And down and down.” ‘7 ) own?”’ ' “He went down, M’Lungu, and as he went he shouted and shouted again. Each time he shouted he was farther down. And when I heard him last he was in the very middle of the earth.” ‘Was there no other passage except the one you went along, M’Poine?”’ “No, M’Lungu, only one road. - The road wound right along, then down.”’ The very souls of Bertie and the gray- beard went cold. For a while they were speechless. “I believe he’s quite capable of doing it,” the graybeard remarked presently. “‘Who’s capable of doing what, Frank?” ‘Rodney, the man who brought us here. He’s brought us here where we can’t get out, and he’s capable of starving us to death. He starved hundreds in London twenty- five years ago.” “The ——!” Bertie said perplexedly. “Starved ’em to death, Bertie, and thrived on it. Started a workingman’s Bank. Friend of the poor, and all that kind of stuff. Got me in and used my good name and capital to run it, then crashed.” “The !? And Bertie whistled softly. “And broke you?” “No, not directly. But it ruined others. And Rodney’d spent and gambled and speculated every penny; then tried to throw the blame on me because I was best known.” “And you were pinched, eh, Frank?” “No, Bertie, I had some money left. And at marriage I’d settled my wife for life. But the disgrace of it all sent me crazy, Bertie, and I did the exact wrong thing. Got ona of a bust.” In the darkness Bertie smiled his sym- pathy, but didn’t speak. “T got on a —— of a bust, Bertie, and went down and out. Then in desperation I sold all that I possessed and divided it up among the depositors and sneaked out here _ without telling a soul. And here I’ve al- ways been.”’ Impulsively Bertie felt for a hand and squeezed it. The graybeard felt the grip and held it. ‘“‘And that wasn’t the worst of all, Bertie. The moment I disappeared it looked as 149. 000) comic ‘S (E(O) Mm