Adventure Magazine Cover — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

154 charging men had taken. floated directly, loudly back. “Ha-ha-ha-ha!” «ame from behind hurry- ing feet pattering round the edge of the cave, and’ snorts of dismay echoed as one or another struck the wall in a different place. Grunts and groans as head or toe bumped fiercely into solid rock. ‘ “Ffa-ha-ha-ha!’’ The rushing Kaffirs circled the chamber and started round again. ‘The natives reached the walls of the passage and in the darkness passed them. “Ha-ha-ha!’ came from behind a wall of stone. ‘‘Ha-ha-ha!”’ The laugh of a sudden grew duller and duller. Duller and still more dull. “‘Ha-ha-ha!”’ The laugh in the passage was fainter and farther away. “Ha-ha-ha!’’ The laugh went out. Shivering as with ague the two whites huddled together. Each felt the trembling of the other, yet neither felt ashamed. “Tf that thing’s going to haunt this place a month, Frank,’ Bertie at last said jumpily, “itll haunt at least one dead man.” “Tt’s wicked, Bertie. It’s a horror, what-. ever it is.” “Horror! If that thing’s got anything to | do with —— I’m not going there.” The laugh was quite gone and the old man’s quivering spirits were trying, to collect themselves. it’s alive, Bertie, that’s certain.. And we've got to find out what it is and catch it. That’s our way out.” “Like catching the wind, eh?” “No, this thing must be catchable. Some of us must wait by the passage end, and, if the thing comes in again, bar it from going out.” In the denseness Bertie — an un- happy smile. . “Bar it! . We two? Those Kaffirs will never help catch ghosts.” The old man’s brain was going clearer. - “Tf they see what it is they’ll help. But maybe the thing’ll not come if there’s fire.”’ “Likely not, Frank.” “Tf we had plenty of dry twigs ready and could quickly start a flame. But how? We can’t use flint and steel.” Suddenly Bertie’s hand went to a pocket. The sounds of their striking as they hit the cavern walls. Adventure 3 heart pounded with the excitement of ope. “The matches, Frank! The matctest If only the things are dry and of any use.” With anxious care Bertie cracked away a single match from the solid mass of sul- phur. Nervously he scratched it on the box. The match spat, sputtered, flamed up, burned out. A faint glow from the passage entered the cavern. The glow became brighter. Kaffirs came in. Kaffirs with pots of water and food. “WE’LL wait one each side,” the & Becca we said as the white men reached the entrance of the pas- sens The meal was long since over, and the Kaffirs, uncommunicative and unapproach- able as ever, had left. ‘We'll wait one each side, Bertie, and we'll let the thing get well into the middle. of the cavern. Then both makea light, and if it charges to get out, stop it.” “Yes, and get clawed to pieces, Frank. I haven’t even got a pocket knife.” The graybeard grimly smiled. “Clawed to death in a minute’s better than starving to death for a month.” “And having that thing laughing at us doing it,” Bertie agreed lamely. “Well, it’s something the Kaffirs outside know about, Bertie, and that’s reassuring. And it’s something, they must have seen come in in daylight, so it can’t be so bad,” the graybeard argued. “Ugh! Anything’s bad inside here in the dark.”’ With great care the two men fixed them- _ selves and made ready for the anxious wait. In the darkness and silence, though but feet apart, the loneliness was creepy. The long black morning hazed away, the never-ending afternoon dragged on. The straining ears, tuned to the solid silence, easily caught the sound of each man’s breathing. . The graybeard gently stirred. Like the noise of the waves dashing on a beach the - rustling seemed to fill all space. “Getting stiff, Frank?” “S-s-sh! Just a little. Bertie.”’ “Let’s give it best, Frank. I’m about fed up. Let’s give it best till tomorrow. Another day can’t——” “Ha-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha!’’ But keep quiet, CONIC MOOKS (@) (E@) A)