Adventure Magazine Cover — page 175: 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 thoughtfully, ‘came down to losing women. I knew a dozen years ago that he was in with Tombs and finding custom for him. But women!” The white-haired lady looked in wonder- ment, but didn’t speak. “Yes, Nellie. Rodney tried to delude Eileen into marrying his worthless son, and couldn’t manage it. Then fixed it up ‘with his old crony, her guardian, to lose her and divide. Took advantage of her obsession for hunting and adventure to get her on a trip to Africa—and she’d never have been seen again. Just as they lost this crazy man _ —the sanest crazy man I’ve ever come across.” “This man crazy?” Nellie’s eyes went wide in wonderment. 3 “Ves.” Frank smiled affectionately. “He’s one of Tombs’ victims, Nellie. A victim of a year or so ago, who came un- pleasantly close to killing us in saving us. In his anxiety to make the whole thing real, Nellie, he came within an ace of scaring us to death. As I told you, after Tombs had killed my detective, he got Malan to hold us prisoners until he’d lost Eileen and got safely away again.”’ “But why would Malan help a white man, Frank, if he hated them so?” “Tt wasn’t the pleasure of helping, Nellie, it was the pleasure of hurting by helping. And when this friend here saw us he at once saw a way of getting at Tombs through us. Came in and watched us and nearly fright- ened the lives out of us in his coeee ef- forts to think it all out.” “Not very pleasant, Frank. It all must have been terrible.” “Awful, Nellie! Just awful! And this poor, crazy beggar knew he couldn’t get Malan to free us under the month, or in time to catch Tombs; so he worked on Ma- lan’s fears and superstitions to let him tor- ture us to death, just as they once must have commenced to do with him, so as to get us safely outside the cavern.” “TY wonder you didn’t fall dead anyway, Frank,” the little lady said and shuddered. “T almost did, Nellie. couldn’t even try to run to save myself. You see the madman had worked himself up to such a pitch that he couldn’t hold himself, and he came mighty near going through with the whole torture business before he could stop.” “And what are you going to do with the I was so scared I 169 poor mad thing, Frank? Send him back to England?” Jimmie, listening quietly, softly shook Frank’s arm. Smiling he pointed to where the madman squatted and gently caressed the crouching lioness. ““What’s the matter with me, Frank?” Jimmie asked. “Can’t your mad pal and Cora stay with me for good? Bertie and I tried our best to get her less than three months ago, and I consider that she half belongs to me. And perhaps in time kind- ness may make the man’s mind flutter back to reason. I’m willing to Old Frank’s eyes glowed, and he held out a hand. ‘Are you?” he said with a smile of great satisfaction. “Think you can break him in and make a friend of him? Think you can handle a madman?” “Handle hime” and Jimmie grinned and cocked a curious eye. “Of course I'll handle him. Handling batty men’s my specialty. Didn’t I get enough experience handling Bertie?”’ peo THE afternoon wore on. Lazily r, the Italian stepped over to the / music-box and wound it up, and Carmen rose haltingly and floated out into the air. Happily hand in hand the two old people passed the back door and wandered into the bush; Eileen, content and smiling, walking with them. For one whole mile they walked, then a large tree loomed up. A crooning voice close to it rose on the still air and silently they tiptoed over to it. “‘Tor-ee-e-e-a-dor! Tor-ee-e-e-a-dor!” the crooning voice sang over and over again and yet again. Beneath the tree stood a rough- hewn six- foot pole and upon it a straggling painted sign: SACRED TO THE MEMORY of BERTIE THE BLACK SHEEP Last seen alive at this spot. Aug. 15, 1906. - High in the tree was a platform, and down below it the glistening, sun-bleached skeleton of what was once a donkey. The creeping three drew up and watched. In front of the painted sign on a large stone Ar (E@) “comicbooks